Residents in Langa pay extra to access their own money 

13 August 2026 | Dizindaba Intern: Shamila Pieterse | Western Cape

Residents in Langa say they are being forced to pay additional charges when using their bank cards at some local spaza shops because there are limited ATM facilities within easy reach of the community. 

According to the Consumer Protection Act, the price displayed for goods or services should be the final amount payable. Businesses are not permitted to add unexpected card or swipe fees at the point of payment. 

Despite this, some residents say they continue to be charged extra when making purchases or withdrawing cash at local spaza shops. 

“There aren’t enough ATMs close to us, so sometimes we have no choice but to use the spaza shops,” said Langa resident Konela Kungxaka. “Even if we know the extra charge isn’t right, we still need access to our money.” 

Some spaza shop owners say the additional charge is necessary to cover administrative or transaction costs. However, consumer protection rules prohibit merchants from adding separate card payment fees to customers. 

KaZang did not respond to a request for formal comment by the time of publication. However, its customer support service on WhatsApp advised that merchants are not permitted to charge additional card fees and that complaints require the merchant’s account number. 

For residents who rely on nearby spaza shops to access cash or pay for essentials, the lack of convenient ATM access continues to leave many feeling they have little choice but to pay the additional charges.