South Africa has recorded nearly 200 deaths in more than 40 mass shootings since the start of 2026, according to crime monitoring groups, highlighting a growing pattern of deadly violence linked to organised crime and territorial disputes.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) has recorded at least 41 mass shootings in South Africa since January, resulting in about 196 deaths. A mass shooting is generally defined as an incident in which three or more people are killed.
According to GI-TOC, the figures may understate the scale of the problem because some incidents are believed to go unreported.
The organisation attributes much of the violence to competition among criminal syndicates and individuals seeking control of illicit markets and territorial strongholds.
Such conflicts have increasingly spilled into public spaces, including taverns, homes and social gatherings, leaving large numbers of victims in their wake.
Crime researchers say the incidents are part of a broader and increasingly alarming trend.
The latest incidents unfolded over the weekend, when 27 people were killed in separate mass shootings in Johannesburg and Cape Town within hours of each other.
In Johannesburg, 17 people were killed and 15 injured on the evening of 26 September after eight armed men stormed a tavern and opened fire on patrons.
Police said the attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, also robbed some victims of their mobile phones before fleeing in two vehicles. Two vehicles were reportedly set alight during the attack.
Several hours later, gunmen opened fire on partygoers in Cape Town, shortly before 2am (0000 GMT) on 27 September. Ten people were killed, while 11 others were wounded.
The attacks came just days after 12 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed when armed men stormed a house in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.
The persistence of mass shootings stands in contrast to broader national crime trends.
South Africa’s latest quarterly police statistics showed a 5.9 percent decline in murders between April and June.
However, analysts say organised crime, gang activity and disputes over criminal enterprises continue to drive large-scale killings in some communities.
Security experts warn that South Africa faces a deepening challenge from organised criminal violence, despite broader gains in reducing overall murder rates.
JN/APA