“Protection Fee Members”: Men Casually Lounging Inside Spaza Shop Worry SA in Facebook Video

• A Facebook video showed a group of men relaxing inside a spaza shop, smoking a hubbly pipe and drinking cold drinks
• The men were seen sitting on top of maize meal bags and snacking on shop stock, while the store's exact location remained unknown at the time of reporting
• Social media users accused the group of forcing out the shop's previous owner and collecting protection fees from local businesses

A Facebook video showing men relaxing inside a local spaza shop has worried South Africans. Moli Barich shared the clip on Facebook on 8 July 2026, and it spread quickly. The footage shows a group of men sitting inside the store, smoking a hubbly pipe.

Others are seen drinking cold drinks and sitting on top of maize meal bags nearby. A few of the men are also seen snacking on some of the shop’s stock. The exact location of the spaza shop has not yet been confirmed by Briefly News.

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Men filmed lounging inside spaza shop

The clip drew real concern from South Africans who follow these viral videos closely. Many viewers online questioned exactly who the men in the video really were. Several commenters speculated that the men could be new occupants of the shop. Some claimed the previous owner, allegedly a foreign national, had fled out of fear. Online users have raised concerns before about small shops being targeted and taken over.

Commenters under the post shared a mix of anger and dark humour online. One user joked that the men looked like they were collecting protection fees from the store. Another pointed out that ordinary families still rely on these shops for daily essentials. A third commenter said children are often sent to buy goods from these spazas.

Briefly News could not independently verify any of the claims made online before the stipulated deadline. The identities of the men shown in the video remain unknown at this stage. It is also unclear whether any wrongdoing actually took place at the shop.

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More stories about spaza shops

• A South African man shared a TikTok tour of his newly stocked spaza shop, showing off clean shelves, freezers, and a welcoming interior.
• A South African woman named Sbongi opened her own spaza shop and shared the milestone online.
• Residents in Durban townships reported paying R30 for bread after South Africans took over spaza shops previously run by foreign nationals.

Source: Briefly News