Two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities killed at least 27 people, police said Sunday (September 27, 2026).

The South African Police Service said 17 people were killed Saturday (September 26, 2026) night when eight suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg. At least 15 others sustained gunshot injuries in that attack, police said.

In a separate statement, police said 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a store in Lwandle, near Cape Town, around 1 a.m. Sunday (September 27, 2026). Another 11 were wounded in that shooting. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects in that case also, though they didn’t give an exact number.

The two shootings come just days after a mass shooting by three gunmen at a house party near the east coast city of Durban killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.

No arrests had been made in the two latest mass shootings, police said.

South Africa has struggled with high rates of violent crime for years, but the series of mass shootings this week were shocking even to a country used to some of the highest violent crime rates in the world.

 Two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities killed at least 27 people, police said Sunday (September 27, 2026).

The South African Police Service said 17 people were killed Saturday (September 26, 2026) night when eight suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg. At least 15 others sustained gunshot injuries in that attack, police said.

In a separate statement, police said 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a store in Lwandle, near Cape Town, around 1 a.m. Sunday (September 27, 2026). Another 11 were wounded in that shooting. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects in that case also, though they didn’t give an exact number.

The two shootings come just days after a mass shooting by three gunmen at a house party near the east coast city of Durban killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.

No arrests had been made in the two latest mass shootings, police said.

South Africa has struggled with high rates of violent crime for years, but the series of mass shootings this week were shocking even to a country used to some of the highest violent crime rates in the world.

Three assailants shot at least 11 people to death in a mass shooting at a house party in South Africa, police said on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).

One of the victims was a woman who was believed to be pregnant, police said in a statement. Three other people were wounded.

The shooting happened Tuesday (September 22) night in the KwaMakhutha township around 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of the city of Durban on the east coast. The people had gathered at the house for a party when the suspects entered and opened fire, police said.

Police said they were searching for the suspects.

Nine people were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire at a bar outside Johannesburg early on Sunday (December 21, 2025), police said, in the second such shooting in South Africa this month.

Ten more were wounded when around a dozen men attacked the tavern at Bekkersdal, in a gold mining area around 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of the city, just before 1:00 am (2300 GMT).

About ​12 unknown ⁠suspects in a white minibus and a silver sedan opened fire at the tavern patrons ‌and continued shooting randomly as they ‌fled the scene, the police said, adding the motive ‍for the shooting would be determined by investigation.

Police initially said 10 people were killed but later revised the toll downwards.

The dead included a driver from an online car-hailing service who had been outside the bar, provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told SABC television.

A manhunt for the attackers had been launched, police said.

South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised nation, is grappling with entrenched crime and corruption driven by organised networks.

Also read: Gunmen kill eight at birthday party in South Africa

Shootings are common and often fuelled by gang violence and competition between informal businesses, contributing to one of the highest murder rates in the world.

On December 6, gunmen stormed a hostel at Saulsville township near the capital Pretoria, killing a dozen people including a three‑year‑old child.

Police said that shooting was at a site that was illegally selling alcohol.

Many South Africans own licensed firearms for personal protection but there are many more illegal guns in circulation despite relatively strict ownership laws.

An average of 63 people were killed each day between April and September, according to police data.

Most deaths stemmed from arguments, with robberies and gang violence also driving the toll.

In one of the deadliest recent incidents, 18 relatives were shot dead at a rural homestead in the country’s Eastern Cape province in September 2024.