Biography

Brad Nathanson Private Investigator

Brad Nathansonhas tracked down and dealt with adulterers, rapists, murderers, armed robbers and… streakers. He has thwarted crimes and put his life on the line to make a difference to the world. One bad guy at a time, Brad’s ambition is to rid the world of violent criminals so that law abiding citizens can sleep peacefully in their beds.

Durban born Brad lived in Morningside, Durban until he was ten years old. Then in 1972 he moved with his family to then Rhodesia. Throughout his formative years Brad remained focused on one goal: to become a policeman and he never waivered from that aspiration. NowPresident of Brad Nathanson Investigations, this modern day hero started his career by standing up for what he believed in; his father was adamant that Brad should learn a trade, but the young Nathanson knew his path lay in law enforcement and he eventually convinced his father to allow him to write the South African Police Service Exam in 1980. He hasn’t looked back.

With a First Class pass, Nathanson was determined to drive his career in a direction that would enable him to make the most of his talents. After Police College in Pretoria, Brad moved on to the Anti-Terrorist Reaction Unit, going on to write the Detective Course Exam in 1983. Brad spent five years as a detective, honing his skills and learning from the best the force had to offer. He knew he wanted to do more, however, and in 1988 he decided he had all the skills and knowledge he needed to go it alone. Setting up his Private Detective Agency, Brad quickly made a name for himself in the Upper Highway area where he took the rising crime rate in his stride and started releasing the residents from the stranglehold of fear that was slowly tightening like a noose around their community.

Not selective about the types of law breakers that he targets, Brad varies his work attending to VIP protection, cheating spouses and domestic violence, to housebreakings, rape and murder. Brad’s favourite VIP job was when he was asked to accompany Oprah on her last trip to South Africa. A competitive body builder at the time, Brad was hired as Oprah’s personal trainer and he was completely taken by her philanthropic nature and undeniable charm. Brad admits that Oprah’s giving nature, especially when bestowed on the less fortunate in our country, made that job an emotional rollercoaster ride from start to finish.

Brad is incredibly pragmatic about his job, shrugging off situations that the vast majority of us would find traumatic and often terrifying. It goes with the territory. He knows that being shot at is part of the job and, while he does what he can to ensure his safety and that of those he is working with, he has countless hair-raising anecdotes to tell. Brad believes that some people are lured into a life of crime by their circumstances or affiliations, while others are just born bad. Though many of Brad’s cases will always remain confidential there are a number of high profile cases that he is able to speak fairly openly about. If you would like to read more about Brad’s cases go to the ‘Cases’ page.

Brad gives himself a self-assessed success rate of around 90 per cent. He aims to provide a personal yet professional service based on integrity, value for money and good advice. He feels he has been successful when he brings closure to survivors of any criminal situation, or returns stolen goods to their rightful owners. The job of a private investigator is not bound by nine to five hours or any specific location and while the rest of us sleep, Brad is often out responding to someone’s cry for help. He puts a great deal of emphasis on the benefits of the support from the emotionally strong and caring woman in his life. Brad’s wife knows the dangers of his being out on the streets at night and lives daily with the fear of him not coming home. But she fully understands his burning desire to see justice prevail; she knows that as long as he is out there, his family is being kept safe.

Brad regularly works alongside both private security companies and the police force in his bid for lawfulness and he puts great stock in the necessity of the security industry. From car guards to policemen and women, there is an indispensable buffer between the criminals and Joe Public. These people are out there fighting crime and doing their level best to ensure the safety of the public. Unfortunately that doesn’t always go according to plan but Brad believes that all South Africans have a duty to make a difference to the crime in this country and that we shouldn’t be so quick to slate the services that strive to protect us.

Living the life he does Brad believes that you have to be brave and able to roll with the punches to make a good investigator. But he is under no illusions of longevity, he admits that he has made a lot of enemies over the years.

When he isn’t working, Brad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and children. He loves being outdoors, enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and includes among his favourite pastimes fishing, riding motorcycles, breeding reptiles, weaponry and being tattooed.