Johannesburg, March 12, 2026 – Police are hunting a brazen thief who made off with a bank’s point-of-sale (POS) machine in Norwood, Johannesburg, leaving businesses on high alert amid a surge in high-tech robberies.
The incident unfolded late Wednesday evening at a FNB branch on Grant Avenue. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man, described as slim, in his mid-30s, wearing a black hoodie and jeans, lurking near the ATM area around 9 PM. Security footage captured him prying the POS device from its mount using a crowbar before fleeing on foot toward the bustling Louis Botha Avenue.
“The machine handles thousands of card transactions daily – this isn’t just theft, it’s a blow to honest customers,” said Norwood SAPS spokesperson Captain Lerato Mthembu. The stolen POS, valued at over R50,000, contains sensitive payment data, prompting an urgent investigation by the Hawks’ cybercrime unit. No customer information appears compromised yet, but banks nationwide are boosting surveillance.
This theft fits a pattern of POS heists targeting JHB’s financial hubs, with similar incidents in Yeoville and Hillbrow last month. “Criminals are getting bolder, exploiting tech vulnerabilities,” Mthembu warned, urging residents to report suspicious activity via the MySAPS app.
Local shop owners, like Fatima Ismail of Norwood Spar, expressed fury: “We’re already battling loadshedding and crime – now this? We need more patrols!”
As Norwood rallies, community leaders call for vigilance. In a city of dreams, such acts remind us: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” as John 10:10 teaches. But light prevails – let’s stand firm in faith and unity against darkness.
Police urge tips at 10111 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111. Have you seen this man? Your call could make Norwood safer