Comparison
Theftsight vs SAPS Stolen-Property & Second-Hand Goods Register
South Africa's statutory police database and regulated dealer registers vs a consumer-facing marketplace watch and recovery service.
SAPS Stolen-Property & Second-Hand Goods Register Under South Africa's Second-Hand Goods Act and SAPS National Instruction, pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers must register with SAPS, keep transaction registers, verify sellers, and report suspected stolen goods. Serial numbers of stolen property sit in a SAPS national database detectives use to match recovered items back to owners. It's the authoritative backstop — but it's reactive and dealer/police-facing, with no consumer marketplace scanning.
| Capability | SAPS Stolen-Property & Second-Hand Goods Register | Theftsight |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Government stolen-property database + regulated dealer registers | Continuous marketplace watch + confidence-scored match alerts |
| Marketplace scanning | None — no monitoring of Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, etc. | Automated serial, image, price & location matching across marketplaces |
| Police | It is the police system (the SAPS national database) | We assemble the proof pack that speeds a case |
| Insurers | Indirect via case/reference numbers; no integration | Written-off claim recovery network (success-fee path) |
| Coverage | South Africa; all serial-numbered property | Bikes & serial-numbered gear; Australia-first, expanding globally |
Where SAPS Stolen-Property & Second-Hand Goods Register is strong
- Authoritative and free — the official record police use to return recovered goods.
- Legally compels dealers and pawnshops to record and cross-check serials.
- Nationwide statutory coverage across all property types.
Where Theftsight is built to win
- Consumer-facing — you can watch for your own item, not wait on an officer's lookup.
- Automated marketplace scanning the statutory dealer registers don't cover.
- A ready-made proof pack that makes a SAPS case faster.
Can you use both?
Yes — a SAPS report puts your serial in the official database; Theftsight watches the marketplaces those dealer registers don't reach and hands police the evidence.
Related: Stolen bike recovery in Australia · Compare all.
Put your gear under watch
Register in two minutes. If it's stolen, marketplaces are scanned — and police and insurers on the network can see the case.