A turnstile enforces single-file pedestrian entry: one valid credential, one person through. That is the difference between a door with a reader on it, which anyone can hold open for the person behind them, and a controlled entrance where headcount is accurate. IDS supplies and installs the Turnstar range as an authorised partner, covering waist-height tripod units, full-height rotor turnstiles, and glass-wing speedgates for reception environments.
Waist-height turnstiles use three rotating arms at hip height. They are compact, comparatively affordable, handle high throughput, and suit indoor staff entrances, gyms, clubhouses and stadium concourses. They control flow rather than physically preventing a determined person from climbing over, so they belong where the entrance is supervised or already inside a secured perimeter.
Full-height turnstiles use a floor-to-ceiling rotor inside a caged frame, which cannot be climbed or jumped. They are the standard choice for unmanned perimeter entrances: factories, warehouses, mines, depots, construction sites and estate pedestrian gates. They are available as single or double rotor units, in galvanised or stainless finishes for coastal and industrial conditions, and are usually installed on a concrete plinth with a canopy.
Speedgates use retracting glass or acrylic wings and are the reception product. They read as part of the building rather than as security equipment, move quickly enough for a morning peak, and include sensors that detect tailgating and stop the wings closing on a person. Lane configurations normally include one wide DDA-compliant lane for wheelchair, trolley and luggage access.
Price is driven by the type and number of lanes, the finish, whether the unit is indoors or outdoors, the reader integration, and the civil work. Outdoor installations need a plinth, conduit, power reticulation and often a canopy, which regularly costs more than people budget for. Stainless steel costs more than galvanised but survives coastal air. Integration with an existing access database is configuration work on top of hardware. We quote after a site visit that confirms lane widths, floor construction, power and cable routes.
Typical price range
Waist-height R25,000 – R60,000; full-height R55,000 – R120,000; glass speedgate lanes R80,000 – R200,000 per lane
Installed prices vary with finish, location and reader integration. Outdoor units add civil work — plinth, conduit and power — which is usually the largest variable in the quote.
