About SWAT Exterminators & Weed Control – Proudly Protecting KZN Homes and Businesses Since 1990
SWAT Exterminators & Weed Control was founded in April 1990 by Don Smale, a pest-control veteran who had already spent more than a decade mastering every aspect of the industry. Frustrated by the inconsistent service, slow response times, and corner-cutting he saw in larger operators, Don started SWAT with a simple promise: to deliver faster, friendlier, and more effective pest and weed solutions than anyone else – at fair prices.
More than 35 years later, that promise still drives everything we do.
From our head office and fully stocked warehouse at 33 West Street, Pietermaritzburg, we remain a family-owned, independent company that has grown purely through reputation and word-of-mouth. Many of our clients have been with us for two or even three decades, and we now protect several generations of the same families.
Our service area
While our core area is a 100 km radius around Pietermaritzburg (covering Howick, Hilton, Camperdown, Richmond, Mooi River, Nottingham Road, Estcourt, Wartburg, Cato Ridge, and the Upper South Coast), we regularly travel much further when clients need us:
- Full Midlands and KZN South Coast contracts
- Durban metro and North Coast on request
- Drakensberg and Northern KZN for commercial and game-lodge work
If you have a pest or weed problem, distance is never an obstacle – just ask.
What we specialise in
We are a true one-stop pest and vegetation management company:
- Domestic pest control (houses, complexes, estates)
- Commercial & industrial contracts (factories, warehouses, food-processing plants, retail, offices)
- Hospitality & tourism (hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, game lodges)
- Health-care & education (hospitals, clinics, schools, creches, universities)
- Pre- and post-construction termite treatments
- Weed control on lawns, driveways, industrial sites, and electric fence lines
- Specialised services: bird-proofing, rodent perimeter baiting systems, fumigation, sanitisation fogging, and beetle inspections
Fully registered, fully compliant, fully insured
SWAT has always maintained the highest industry standards and registrations:
- South African Pest Control Association (SAPCA) – founding member status
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (Act 36 of 1947)
- Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business
- National Pest Management Association (USA) – international member
- Full public liability cover (R1 million)
- All technicians are P-number registered and continuously trained
We can supply copies of certificates, safety data sheets, and insurance documents at any time – essential for audits, food-safety certification (HACCP, FSSC 22000), and property transfers.
Why clients choose (and stay with) SWAT
- Owner-supervised service – Don and his son Ray still personally oversee major contracts
- Same-day or next-day emergency response in the greater PMB area
- Fully marked vehicles and uniformed, well-spoken staff
- Latest technology: thermal imaging, Termatrac radar, ULV foggers, GPS-tracked service vehicles
- Eco-conscious approach: we use reduced-risk products, insect growth regulators, and non-chemical solutions wherever possible
- Transparent, detailed invoicing and digital service reports with photos
- Upfront quotations with no hidden extras
Committed to our community and environment
We actively support local initiatives in the Midlands and believe in giving back. We are also constantly updating our methods to reduce chemical loads while maintaining (and often improving) efficacy – whether that’s switching to botanical insecticides, expanding our biological weed control trials, or installing permanent monitoring systems that cut bait usage by up to 80 %.
After 35 years, hundreds of thousands of treatments, and countless satisfied customers, SWAT Exterminators & Weed Control is still the name Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands trust first for fast, friendly, and guaranteed pest and weed solutions.
Call us on 033 346 0060 or WhatsApp 082 789 4040 – we’re ready to help 24/7.
When you need it done properly, once and for all – you need SWAT.