“Next Time, Call Police Fast”: Mzansi Reacts to Brazen Norwood Garage Theft Caught on Camera

• A man was caught on CCTV at a Norwood garage walking off with a point-of-sale machine after withdrawing a R10,000 voucher, and a case has since been opened with police
• The family of a staff member at the garage took to social media to identify the suspect, with footage now circulating widely across platforms and drawing fierce reactions from the public
• Petrol stations across South Africa remain prime targets for opportunistic crime, with Gauteng recording some of the highest business burglary rates in the country in 2025

A man walked into a Norwood garage, helped himself to a machine worth thousands, and walked right back out.

That is exactly what happened at a filling station in Norwood, Johannesburg, on 11 March 2026. A suspect was caught on surveillance footage stealing what is believed to be a point-of-sale machine from the garage. The theft came shortly after the man had withdrawn a R10,000 voucher from the device. A case was opened with the South African Police Service, and the community has been asked to help identify and locate the suspect.

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Bold as brass in Norwood

The suspect did not rush or hide. He pulled up, made his transaction, and then walked back out of the vehicle to grab the machine before disappearing. The whole thing was captured on CCTV. A family member of one of the garage workers posted a TikTok clip on 11 March 2026. They appealed for help in tracking down the man, with the caption calling on the public to help make the footage go viral.

Business robberies and point-of-sale theft at filling stations have been a known pattern across Gauteng for years. Card skimming and cloning at filling stations remain a persistent problem in South Africa. Perpetrators are managing to pocket hundreds of millions annually.

Gauteng is a hotspot, and everyone knows it

Card-swapping incidents in the first quarter of 2025 were heavily concentrated in Gauteng. They accounted for the majority of March cases. A significant share occurred specifically in Rosebank, just a short drive from Norwood.

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See the CCTV footage here:

Mzansi reacts to the incident.

Briefly News compiled comments from the post below.

@andile commented:

“That number plate must even be fake. Next time you suspect something, call the police, fast.”

@Tobyz08🇿🇦🇿🇦 said:

“Next time, one staff member should stand at the door to offer more safety support.”

@silverback wrote:

“Gambling is a problem. R10,000 voucher for what?”

@Feestors asked:

“What is he doing with that machine?”

@mmapulamolekane commented:

“These criminals are doing whatever these days.😞”

More articles involving robberies

• A routine phone sale outside a Pretoria estate turned violent after armed suspects ambushed an iPhone reseller and disappeared with devices worth over R100,000.
• Dashcam footage showing an e-hailing driver being attacked during a trip has sparked serious concern about passenger safety and crime.
• A Cape Town content creator shared the story of South Africa's most famous bank robbery, which took place in 1977 and remains unsolved to this day.

Source: Briefly News