CCTV Equipment Supply in Rwanda
Cameras, recorders and storage sourced to match your coverage and retention requirements.
CCTV equipment supply provides cameras, recorders, storage and the network and power equipment around them, chosen from a camera schedule so each camera captures the detail it needs and footage is kept as long as you need it. Any organisation buying a new system, expanding an existing one or replacing a failing recorder needs it. This page covers choosing and supplying the equipment. Planning camera positions and installing them is covered by CCTV camera installation, and the network side by IP camera installation.
What is CCTV equipment supply, and who needs it
It’s sourcing IP cameras, lenses, recorders or video management software, surveillance-rated drives, Power over Ethernet switches, UPS units and mounting hardware against a camera schedule. It suits offices, compounds, hotels, schools, clinics, warehouses and shops, and organisations whose current recorder is full, failing or out of support.
The problem it solves
Packaged camera kits rarely fit a real site. They include the same camera for every position, a recorder too small for the retention period, desktop drives that fail under constant writing and no power backup. Buying from a camera schedule matches each camera to its purpose and sizes recording and storage to what you actually need to keep.
What we choose
Cameras by purpose. Identification cameras at entrances, observation cameras for open areas, and the lens and resolution each needs.
Environment. IP66 or IP67 outdoor ratings, IK10 vandal resistance where reachable, infrared and wide dynamic range where light is difficult.
Recording. A network video recorder or video management software with enough channels and throughput, plus room to grow.
Storage. Surveillance-rated drives sized to the retention period, with redundancy where footage is critical.
Compression. H.265 where cameras and recorder both support it, typically cutting bitrate by around 30 to 50 percent compared with H.264 at similar quality.
Network and power. PoE switches with enough budget, and a UPS so recording continues through power cuts.
Interoperability. ONVIF-conformant equipment where mixing brands is likely, checked against the ONVIF conformant products list rather than a datasheet claim.
A worked storage example
Sixteen cameras recording continuously at 4 megabits per second produce about 43 gigabytes each per day, or roughly 690 gigabytes a day in total. Keeping thirty days of footage needs around 21 terabytes before redundancy. Switching half the cameras to motion-based recording and using H.265 can cut that substantially, which can mean fewer or smaller drives. Working through the arithmetic before buying is what stops a recorder overwriting footage after ten days when you needed thirty.
Security of the equipment itself
Cameras and recorders are network devices and a common target when left with default passwords. We favour manufacturers that publish firmware updates, and every device is supplied with default passwords to be replaced on installation. Equipment from manufacturers that no longer update their firmware is flagged before purchase.
What the work involves
- Start from the camera schedule, or help produce one.
- Select cameras, recorder, storage, switches and power.
- Calculate storage and bandwidth from the schedule.
- Quote with warranty terms and delivery dates.
- Order and check on arrival, updating firmware before installation.
- Deliver, labelled by camera position.
What’s included and what’s not
Included: equipment selection, storage and bandwidth calculation, sourcing, quotes with warranty terms, and delivery.
Not included unless bundled: site survey and installation (see CCTV camera installation), network configuration (see IP camera installation), and monitoring and maintenance.
Typical timelines and what drives cost
Common cameras and recorders are often available within days to a few weeks; specialised lenses, outdoor housings and large recorders can take longer. Cost is driven by camera count and type, resolution and lenses, retention period and storage, outdoor and vandal ratings, PoE switching and power backup.
Equipment typically used
IP bullet, dome and turret cameras, network video recorders or video management software, surveillance-rated hard drives, PoE switches, UPS units, junction boxes, mounts and weatherproof enclosures.
Common mistakes we see
Kits with one camera type for every position. Storage sized to the recorder’s default drives. Desktop drives in a recorder. Indoor cameras installed outdoors. No UPS, so recording stops in every outage. Mixed brands with no ONVIF support. And equipment from manufacturers that stopped releasing firmware.
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IT Equipment Supply
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Frequently asked questions
How much storage do we actually need for our CCTV system?
It's calculated from each camera's bitrate, how many hours a day it records, the number of cameras and the retention period you need. As a guide, one camera recording continuously at 4 megabits per second fills about 43 gigabytes a day. Motion-based recording and H.265 compression can reduce that considerably, so we size from your actual camera schedule.
What resolution cameras should we buy?
Whatever gives enough detail for each camera's job. An identification camera at a gate needs far more pixels on a person's face than a camera watching a yard for movement. We choose resolution and lens together from the camera schedule, rather than buying the highest resolution everywhere and paying for storage and bandwidth it doesn't need.
Do you supply equipment for both indoor and outdoor coverage?
Yes. Outdoor cameras should be rated IP66 or IP67, meaning dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets, and those within reach should be IK10 vandal-resistant. They also need good low-light performance or infrared, and wide dynamic range where they face bright backgrounds. Indoor cameras are chosen for discretion, field of view and light conditions.
Can equipment be sourced to match an existing system we're expanding?
Usually. Cameras from different manufacturers can often work with one recorder through ONVIF, the interoperability standard, though some features may only work within one brand. If your existing recorder is out of support or full, we'll tell you, because adding cameras to a system that can't be secured or expanded is poor value.
Should we buy a recorder (NVR) or use video management software?
For most single sites, a network video recorder is simpler and cheaper: it's a dedicated box that records and serves footage. Larger or multi-site systems, or those needing analytics and integration with access control, often justify video management software on a server. We recommend based on camera count, sites and what you need to do with footage.
Buying equipment for a new office or refresh?
Send us the list, or tell us what it’s for. We’ll quote equipment matched to the job and to local support.