Analog cameras and many accessories run on 12V DC, delivered either by individual plug-top supplies or — far better — a centralised power box with individually fused outputs. IP cameras usually take power over their network cable instead (see the PoE switch guide), but the principle is the same: unstable power produces unstable video, and most "haunted" CCTV faults trace back to power.
South African reality adds two stresses: surges when mains returns after load shedding, and brownouts that drop voltage below what cameras tolerate. A modest investment in surge protection and battery backup keeps the system recording exactly when you most want it to — during an outage.
Voltage drop is the quiet killer on long cable runs: 12V leaving the power box can arrive at a distant camera below 10V, causing night-time reboots when the IR LEDs switch on and load peaks. Correct cable gauge and sensible run lengths are part of the original design, not an afterthought.
Brands we fit and service
The power supply market splits into hardware built for South African conditions and lookalikes that fail at the first hard season. These are the manufacturers we trust on our installations:
- Mean Well
- Securi-Prod
- Forbatt
See our brand guides for how these manufacturers compare.
When the power supply goes wrong
These are the failures we're called to most often — each with its symptoms, causes and our fix on the dedicated problems page:
- Cameras rebooting at night — Cameras work all day but drop or reboot after dark — often several at once, often in cold weather.
- No power to cameras — One camera, one group, or the whole system is dead; the recorder may still be running.
- System dies during load shedding — Every outage is a surveillance blackout — exactly when the property is most vulnerable.
Need this fixed or installed?
Our CCTV Repairs service covers power supply work — quoted upfront and backed by our 12-month workmanship warranty.