5 Security Blind Spots Most South Africans Forget to Cover (and How a

Quick TL;DR

Cover these five blind spots: 1) Side entrances and alleys, 2) Driveways and gates, 3) Backyards and garden sheds, 4) Delivery drop zones and porches, 5) Internal “hidden” rooms (garages, storerooms). For each, use the right mix of Xiaomi smart cameras (outdoor PoE / solar options for uptime; indoor/PTZ for flexible coverage) and simple setup rules. Below I’ll show exactly where to point them, what models work well, and an easy action list you can finish this weekend.

Why these blind spots matter (and why South Africa needs to care)

Thieves exploit shadows, quiet corners, and predictable routines. Add load-shedding, dark streets, and opportunists who watch for offline alarms — and the problem becomes obvious: if you don’t see them, you can’t stop them. A well-placed smart camera does three things: deters, records, and alerts — and with the right build (local storage, battery/solar or UPS for outages) it keeps doing that even when the lights go out.

1) Side entrances & alleys — the shortcut burglars love

Why it’s vulnerable:

Often unlit and overlooked.
Hidden from most front-door cameras.
What to do:
Mount a weatherproof outdoor camera aimed down the side path, 2.5–3 m high.
Use a camera with wide field-of-view and human detection to cut false alerts from cats and bins.
Product pick: Xiaomi Outdoor Camera AW300 (2K) — great FOV and night performance for perimeter coverage. Curate Co.

2) Driveways & gates — where cars and parcels arrive (and criminals case your home)

Why it’s vulnerable:

Driveways give cover and a fast escape.
Gate areas aren’t always linked to alarm systems.
What to do:
Install a dedicated driveway camera with vehicle detection and a narrow-to-medium FOV to catch plates and faces.
Use an NVR or SD backup so you keep footage if the internet drops.
Product pick: Xiaomi Outdoor Camera BW300 Pro (solar-ready) — solar-compatible options make them resilient during long outages. Use solar or UPS if load-shedding’s common where you live.

3) Backyards, sheds & side garages — out-of-sight storage targets

Why it’s vulnerable:

Tools, bikes and spare keys are often stored here.
Poor lighting and foliage provide cover.
What to do:
Use an outdoor camera with colour night vision or strong IR and a real “detection beam” (AI human detection).
For standalone sheds, consider battery/solar or a mini-UPS to keep the camera alive.
Product pick: Xiaomi BW400 Pro Solar Outdoor Set — built for extended off-grid runtime and reliable outdoor recording. Curate Co.

4) Delivery drop zones & porches — package thieves love these

Why it’s vulnerable:

Packages left out of sight are easy pickings.
Door-facing cameras sometimes miss side-drop or low-placed parcels.
What to do:
Mount a doorbell or porch camera 110–130 cm high aimed slightly down to capture boxes on the step.
Use short clip lengths + human detection to save battery and storage.
Product pick: Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S — 2K video, good battery runtime and dedicated chime options for inside the house. (Consider a small solar panel or power bank kit for high-load-shedding areas.)

5) Garages, internal storerooms & connected rooms — the “hidden” interior risk

Why it’s vulnerable:

These rooms are inside the fence but often out of normal camera sight-lines.
Criminals who get inside may head straight here.
What to do:
Use indoor PTZ or wide-angle cameras that can be moved or adjusted.
Link internal cameras to motion-triggered lighting and an alarm to avoid “silent thefts.”
Product pick: Xiaomi Smart Camera C500 (360° PTZ / AI detection) — flexible indoor coverage for large rooms and garages.

Practical setup rules (do this to make cameras actually work)

Height & angle: Mount cameras 2.2–3 m high, angled down — faces > license plates.
Overlap fields of view: No gaps. Two cameras overlapping modestly beats one camera with tunnel vision.
Local backup: Prefer SD or NVR backups. If your internet dies, footage still matters.
Power resilience: For critical cameras, use solar accessories, removable batteries, or tie the router/NVR to a UPS. (Curate Co. stocks solar accessories and outdoor solar-ready camera sets.)
False alert hygiene: Use human/vehicle detection and adjust sensitivity to avoid “alarm fatigue.”
Monthly test: Simulate an outage and check local playback — fix what fails.

Quick weekend checklist (doable in 90 minutes)

Walk your property after dark and mark five places you can’t comfortably see from your front door.
Mount 1–2 cameras for those spots (start with the driveway and one side entrance).
Configure human detection and set clip lengths to 10–20 seconds.
Create a “load-shedding” app profile: SD video, PIR-only alerts, low frame rate.
If you buy from Curate Co., order the AW300 for alleys and Doorbell 3S for porches — both have local support and solar/backup options if you need them.

FAQs — short, sharp answers

Q: Can one camera cover multiple blind spots?
Sometimes — but overlapping 2 cameras is safer than relying on one long-range camera that misses angles.

Q: What about privacy for neighbours?
Aim cameras at your property only. Avoid angles that capture neighbour’s living spaces — you’ll sleep better and avoid complaints.

Q: Do I need a pro to install?
If you’re running cables or mounting at height, get a pro. For doorbells and battery cams, DIY is usually fine.

Q: Will insurance accept footage from consumer cams?
Yes — most insurers accept consumer-grade footage if it’s time-stamped and shows a clear chain (local storage helps prove integrity).

Final verdict

Stop thinking “one camera at the front door” think “five smart, simple fixes.” Cover the side alley, driveway, backyard, porch drop zone, and your internal storage. Use a mix of outdoor solar/battery-ready cameras and indoor PTZs, back them up locally, and plan for power outages. Do that and you turn blind spots into bad decisions for thieves.

August 23 2025 Mpho Dlamini