Danger looms for SA shoppers this festive season as cyber threats and mall crimes rise
As South Africans prepare for the largest retail weekend of the year and the festive season soon picking up steam, today’s shoppers and mall operators face twin threats: hidden cyber-attacks on retail systems and rising crime risks in the physical malls themselves.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
According to Phangela Group, the convergence of high traffic, bonus spending, and networked retail systems makes this year especially vulnerable.
On the cyber front, modern retail ecosystems are under siege. Malware designed to infiltrate point-of-sale (POS) terminals, loyalty-card systems, CRM platforms, and connected signage is no longer rare.
In South Africa, the retail sector has been flagged as entering an “unprecedented wave of cybercrime and fraud,” with data breaches running into tens of millions of rand, and 79% of consumers saying protection of their personal data is very important when they choose where to transact.
Globally, POS malware has been shown to compromise thousands of retailers, steal payment card details, and create long-tail reputational damage.
Locally, retail theft is also on the rise. For example, South Africa recorded a 20% increase in shoplifting between 2022 and 2023, with the Western Cape and Gauteng showing particular spikes.
At the same time, life in the mall isn’t just about browsing and buying. Outside and inside, mall parking lots, food courts, and busy corridors provide opportunities for more overt crime.
Analysts point to millions of rand lost to vehicle thefts, hijackings, and merchant robbery in mall precincts.
“With bonuses paid, festive shopping coming up, and foot traffic spiking in malls across South Africa, criminals - both cyber and physical - see this as an ideal window,” says Peter Kruger, head of growth at Phangela Group.
“Retail systems are under pressure with more transactions, new payment channels, loyalty integrations, mobile POS, and cloud linkages. For the in-person shopper, there are packed malls, distracted crowds, and expansive parking lots that create their own risk matrix.”
The reality is that both retailers and consumers are paying a high price for complacency.
For businesses, the cost of a single data breach extends far beyond IT recovery. According to recent reports, the average cost of a cyber breach in South Africa’s retail sector now exceeds R40m and reputational fallout can last long after systems are restored.
For consumers, the risks are equally real. Your payment card, loyalty account, or even your vehicle in the parking lot could be a target.
In 2024, more than 72% of debit card fraud in South Africa occurred locally — often inside supermarkets, shopping centres, and toll plazas.
At the same time, shoplifting and property-related crimes surged again in early 2025, particularly in Gauteng and the Western Cape, as organised groups target high-footfall retail zones.
“The festive rush brings opportunity, not just for retailers, but for criminals too,” says Kruger. “Retailers need to secure their networks just as they secure their storefronts. And shoppers should be just as cautious with their data as with their handbags.”
Phangela Group advises a layered approach to safety, blending cyber protection with physical vigilance.
For retail IT and operations teams, this means:
- Locking down POS systems by isolating payment terminals from public Wi-Fi and guest networks.
- Monitoring loyalty and CRM systems for abnormal data movement or unauthorised access.
- Encrypting and auditing data flows, using AI-driven anomaly detection to flag suspicious spikes during Black Friday and festive trading periods.
- Maintaining an incident-response plan with offline backups and forensic readiness to minimise downtime when a breach occurs.
On the ground, mall operators and store managers should reinforce parking-lot patrols, ensure bright lighting and CCTV coverage, and increase visible security over busy weekends.
Staff training remains critical - from recognising fake returns and distraction thefts to managing large, high-value crowds safely.
And for shoppers, simple vigilance can make all the difference:
- Park only in well-lit, monitored areas and keep valuables out of sight.
- Check card readers for tampering and shield your PIN when paying.
- Be wary of “helpful” strangers at tills or parking machines — diversion thefts remain common.
- Enable transaction alerts on banking and loyalty accounts to spot fraud fast.
“From the IT room to the parking bay. everyone has a role to play,” adds Kruger.
“If we treat security as shared responsibility, we can make the festive season safer for everyone - online and in person.”
In the race for festive sales, many retailers focus solely on promotion and operations. But neglecting cyber- or physical security cuts deep: the loss isn’t just the direct theft or breach, it’s the customer trust that evaporates.
Once loyalty is compromised, it’s costly to rebuild.