Police shot dead one suspect and arrested three others after the men had robbed a store in Burgersfort, Limpopo, on Monday.
The suspects were allegedly pulled off the road near Ga-Masha village, but they immediately started shooting at the police.
The police retaliated and one of the suspects was fatally wounded and his three accomplices were arrested.
Following the arrest, police recovered a motor vehicle, two firearms and a bag containing undisclosed amount of money.
Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said the identity of the deceased, the origin of all the recovered items, the possible linkage of the suspects to other criminal activities in this area and other areas, would be determined by the ongoing police investigations.
Ngoepe said the suspects, aged between 25 and 31, will soon appear before the Sekhukhune Magistrate's Court , to face charges of murder, business robbery, possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property.
