South Africa: 17 Shot in Joburg, 10 in Cape Town - - 2026 Mass-Killings Toll Now 196

Since January 2026, at least 196 people have been gunned down in mass shootings in South Africa. Ten people were fatally shot in Cape Town, while 17 were killed in Carletonville, Johannesburg, pointing to a trend of increased mass killings.

On the evening of Saturday, 26 September, shots rang out at Dora's Tavern in Carletonville, Johannesburg, when eight men, armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, stormed the establishment and opened fire on patrons.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 17 people - 13 men and four women, while 15 others were injured.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng is now on the hunt for the eight attackers who allegedly stole phones off some victims before fleeing the scene in two unidentified vehicles. The SAPS also reported that two vehicles were set alight at the time of the mass shooting.

Several hours later, a similar scene unfolded about 1,300km away when armed men opened fire on party-goers in Lwandle, Cape Town, shortly before 2am on Sunday, 27 September.

Western Cape police said 10 people died in the incident - five at the scene and the remaining five while being taken to hospital. Eleven people were wounded in the mass shooting.

'Alarming trend'

When viewed in isolation, this weekend's shootings could appear to be uncommon events, but the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) says the incidents were part of an alarming trend that had seen at least...

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