Hidden, not plugged in
A hardwired unit is concealed inside the vehicle. Nothing sits in the cab where it can be spotted and pulled out.
Bakkie tracking · South Africa
Bakkie Tracking in South Africa
Live tracking on every bakkie from R50 a month, with a tracker you buy once and own from R769. No contract, and every alert included.
- R769 once-off
- R50/month
- No contract
- Updated Sep 2026
01 · The short answer
What is the best GPS tracker for a bakkie?
For most bakkies it is the 4G900L at R769 — a hardwired 4G tracker with live location, stolen vehicle recovery capability, and the option of an engine cutoff relay. The Tracking Co is a Cape Town-based GPS vehicle tracking company, tracking since 2016, and it sells that hardware outright: you buy it once, own it permanently, and pay R50 per month with no contract.
A bakkie is rarely just transport. It carries tools, stock, and the reason a job can go ahead — which is why the businesses fitting trackers to them are usually plumbers, electricians, builders, farmers, and anyone whose day falls apart if a vehicle goes missing or turns up somewhere it should not be.
Yours from day one
R769 once. No rental, no device fee buried in the monthly. When the bakkie is replaced, the tracker moves across.
Every alert included
After-hours, geofence, overspeed and power alerts all come standard. There is no premium tier holding features back.
Cancel whenever
Month-to-month. No penalties, no early termination fee, and the hardware stays with the business either way.
02 · Choosing the unit
Which tracker suits which kind of bakkie?
Four devices cover it, and the deciding factor is usually the environment the bakkie works in and whether you want engine cutoff.
Device
What it is
Best for
4G900L — R769
Hardwired, live tracking, SVR capable, relay-ready.
The default choice for a working bakkie. Concealed, and takes a cutoff relay.
FMC920 — R999
Everything the 4G900L does, plus advanced alerts and reports.
Bakkie fleets that want harsh-driving, towing and jamming events.
FMC880 — R1,199
Rugged and weatherproof, wired to the battery terminals.
Farm, plant and mine bakkies living in dust, damp and vibration. No cutoff relay.
OBD Mini — R499
Plugs into the OBD port. No wiring.
Logbook and mileage only — it is visible and can be unplugged. Not a theft deterrent.
Still deciding? The device chooser narrows it down in a few questions, or see the full hardware range.
03 · Day to day
What can you actually do once a bakkie is tracked?
Live location is the start of it. The alerts are what turn a map into oversight you do not have to sit and watch.
Live location, web and mobile
After-hours use, on a schedule you set
Geofence the yard, sites and no-go areas
Overspeed at your own limit
PowerCut if the unit loses power
Full trip history and stops
SARS-ready travel logbooks
Sub-accounts for supervisors
Every alert is explained in vehicle tracker alerts explained. Running several bakkies? See self-monitored tracking.
04 · Fitment
How is a tracker fitted to a bakkie?
A hardwired unit is wired to the vehicle power supply and concealed inside the vehicle. Past the need for power, where it sits is flexible — which is the real advantage over a plug-in device sitting in the OBD port where anyone can find it and pull it out.
You have three routes. Anyone on your team with the technical ability can fit it themselves, and The Tracking Co supplies the wiring diagrams and will talk them through it. Your own auto electrician can do it. Or The Tracking Co can arrange an independent installer where one is available in your area. Once the unit has power and the vehicle details are sent through, it appears on the platform.
Fit it yourself
Wiring diagrams supplied, and a technician on WhatsApp while you work through it. Saves the fitment cost entirely.
Your auto electrician
Any competent auto electrician can do this job. You are not tied to a provider's technician or their schedule.
Engine cutoff
Add a R200 relay to a 4G900L or FMC920 and the engine can be immobilised from the app. Not available on the FMC880.
Installer availability varies by area — ask before you plan around a date. See the self-install guide →
05 · Pricing
How much does bakkie tracking cost?
R50 per bakkie per month, plus the tracker once. Nothing else — no activation fee, no per-feature charge, and no contract to sign.
Standard
Tracking
R50 /month per bakkie
Or R540/year per vehicle — R45/month billed annually
- 4G900L tracker, R769 once-off
- Live tracking, web and mobile
- Every alert type included
- Geofencing and trip history
- SIM and data included
- Cancel anytime — no penalties
Optional add-on
Add recovery
R44 /month per bakkie
Or R480/year per vehicle — R40/month billed annually
- 24/7 control room monitoring
- Nationwide recovery response
- Add it per vehicle, not per fleet
- Cancel anytime — no penalties
Over three years, one bakkie on a 4G900L costs R769 in hardware plus R1,800 in subscriptions — R2,569 in total, with the tracker still yours at the end. See the full pricing breakdown →
Running a mixed fleet of bakkies and other vehicles? GPS fleet tracking covers how fleets manage it in-house.
06 · Common questions
Bakkie tracking questions, answered.
What is the best GPS tracker for a bakkie?
For most bakkies The Tracking Co fits the 4G900L at R769 once-off. It is a hardwired 4G unit with live tracking, stolen vehicle recovery capability, and the option of an engine cutoff relay. Fleets that want advanced reporting move up to the FMC920 at R999. Bakkies working on farms, mines, or building sites are better suited to the rugged FMC880 at R1,199, which is weatherproof and connects directly to the battery terminals.
How much does bakkie tracking cost in South Africa?
R50 per vehicle per month with The Tracking Co, plus a once-off tracker you own outright from R769. There is no contract and no rental. Annual billing brings the subscription to R540 per year, which works out at R45 per month. Stolen vehicle recovery is an optional extra at R44 per vehicle per month. Every platform feature — tracking, geofencing, alerts, reports — is included at that price with nothing held back behind a tier.
Can you track a bakkie that staff take home at night?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons businesses fit them. Set an after-hours schedule on a Start of movement or Ignition ON/OFF alert and The Tracking Co platform tells you the moment the bakkie is used outside approved hours. Geofences can be drawn around the yard, around a staff member’s home, and around any area the vehicle should not enter. The alerts arrive by push, email, or WhatsApp.
Can you cut the engine of a bakkie remotely?
Yes, on the 4G900L and the FMC920, with an engine cutoff relay fitted. The relay is a R200 once-off add-on installed alongside the tracker, with no ongoing fee. Once fitted, the engine can be immobilised and released from The Tracking Co platform or mobile app. The rugged FMC880 does not support a cutoff relay, and neither does the plug-in OBD Mini.
Where is the tracker fitted on a bakkie?
A hardwired unit is concealed inside the vehicle and wired to the power supply, so there is nothing visible in the cab or the load bin. Beyond needing power, the exact position is flexible — which is the advantage of a hardwired unit over a plug-in device that sits in the OBD port where anyone can find and unplug it. The Tracking Co supplies wiring diagrams if your own auto electrician is doing the fitment.
Do you need a contract to track a bakkie?
No. The Tracking Co operates on a no-contract model — subscriptions are month-to-month and can be cancelled at any time with no penalties or early termination fees. The tracker is bought once and belongs to you permanently, so nothing ties the business to the subscription. Traditional providers use 24 to 36 month agreements to recover rented hardware; because The Tracking Co sells the device outright, that lock-in is not needed.
Can the tracker move to a replacement bakkie?
Yes. The hardware is yours, so it moves with the business rather than the vehicle. Your auto electrician can remove it and fit it to the replacement, or The Tracking Co can do it and charge only the technician call-out — there is no transfer fee. If the bakkie is sold with the tracker still fitted, that unit is simply cancelled with no cancellation fee. Many operators keep a spare unit for exactly this reason.
Does bakkie tracking include stolen vehicle recovery?
Not by default. A standard The Tracking Co subscription is self-monitored — you see the live location and get every alert, and in a theft you share a live location link with the South African Police Service. Stolen vehicle recovery, which adds 24/7 control room monitoring and a recovery response, is an optional add-on at R44 per vehicle per month. It can be added to individual vehicles rather than the whole fleet.
Ready to start tracking?
Hardware from R499. Subscriptions from R50 a month. No contracts, no setup fee, no surprise upgrades.
Get my quote → Or call the office on 021 330 5408, or WhatsApp 083 399 9937.