True Crime South Africa

In 2004 a recreation spot in Newcastle became the hunting ground for a serial predator. In a series of crimes that mirrored the still-unsolved Zodiac series in the US, couples seeking out some alone time in the park were targeted. The killer's arrest would occur in the most unexpected way. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Suppo...

Recent headlines about SA influencers promoting an allegedly exploitative work program in Russia had the public in an uproar, but those who work in the entertainment industry were less surprised. In this episode I explore the dark side of the glitzy photos and bright lights of fame. I'm joined by the incredible Rosie Motene who shares personal insights from her 30 years in the industry. Resources...

I’m dropping into your feed to tell you about a very cool podcast I’ve just discovered that I think you’ll really like. Radio Workshop is a documentary-style podcast about youth issues in Africa. One of the things I love most about podcasting is that it provides a platform for previously untold stories to be heard with a lower barrier to entry and Radio Workshop does this really beautifully. You’l...

This episode was first published in the Patreon feed in May 2023. Working in a prison environment is a dangerous undertaking, but most correctional centre employees would expect the danger to come from the incarcerated offenders. When three young prison wardens set out on a brief errand for their employer, though, they will soon realise that the danger was far closer than they thought. (24-hr trau...

Stolen Girl Official Companion Podcast Part 2 of 2 - Child Abduction in South Africa In part 1 of the Stolen Girl Companion podcast we delved into the real-life case of Maureen Dabbagh and her daughter, Nadia, who was abducted and taken to Syria by her father in the 90s. In this 2nd and final part of the podcast we talk about the reality of child abduction in South Africa and what we can do to pre...

Stolen Girl Official Companion Podcast Part 1 of 2 - Finding Nadia When Maureen Dabbagh's ex-husband fails to return their two-year-old daughter from a scheduled visitation, it sets off a series of events which will change all three lives forever. Now, Maureen must become a completely different person in order to rescue her daughter when the justice system seems to have no way to help. The brand n...

When Rachel Dolly Tshabalala was discovered deceased in her partner's home, the riddle of her murder seemed simultaneously obvious and utterly baffling. Was the man she had given her heart to the ferocious supporter of woman's rights he presented to the world or was he hiding a dark side? (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Suppor...

This is a TCSA Rewind episode - designed to bring more attention to some of the back catalogue of episodes and provide updates in cases I've covered in the past. Part 3 This episode rewinds back to episode 110 - the murder of Marna Engelbrecht and Sharnelle Hough and as your rewind update, I've converted this into a three-part series which now includes the two companion episodes I created for the...

This is a TCSA Rewind episode - designed to bring more attention to some of the back catalogue of episodes and provide updates in cases I've covered in the past. Part 2 This episode rewinds back to episode 110 - the murder of Marna Engelbrecht and Sharnelle Hough and as your rewind update, I've converted this into a three-part series which now includes the two companion episodes I created for the...

This is a TCSA Rewind episode - designed to bring more attention to some of the back catalogue of episodes and provide updates in cases I've covered in the past. Part 1 This episode rewinds back to episode 110 - the murder of Marna Engelbrecht and Sharnelle Hough and as your rewind update, I've converted this into a three-part series which now includes the two companion episodes I created for the...

When an ordinary South African finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, she starts to see the gaps in the system that are deeply failing families and justice professionals. Sophia Dewberry was not willing to sit back and lament the situation, though. Instead, she has started an organisation that she hopes will help to move criminal investigations forward faster and more efficiently a...

Dillie Scholtz didn't have far to go. It was just 56 metres from her house to her car, but somewhere in between those two points she vanished. Six days later the police officers who had claimed she'd run off with a secret lover would break the news to her horrified family that they had found her body. And the killer had left a calling card of sorts in her grave. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447...

As the new Showmax Original series, The ABC Killer, drops, I revisit the case I first covered in episode nine with a review of the series, an interview of director Jasyn Howes and some anecdotes I've received from people who have had personal experiences with this infamous serial murderer over the years. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/true...

In a single weekend in 1998 four men wrought havoc on Cape Town and its surrounds. By the time their horrendous spree was complete four people would be dead, another two scarred for life and countless others would be changed forever. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.paypal.me/truecrimesa)...

In 2022, Stefan van Niekerk ran into a community clinic and handed over a small bundle wrapped in a blanket to nurses. His claims of a terrible drowning accident were soon in question and the true horror of what had led to the death of 2-year-old Chevonne Rusch would begin to unravel like a nightmarish coil. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/...

In February 2000, the silence of a Western Cape farm is ripped apart by a mass murder. With seven people dead and three more injured, the perpetrator flees to the mountains of the Koue Bokkeveld and a community and several families will never be the same. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.p...

This episode was first published in the Patreon feed in April 2023. When Elizabeth Martiens said goodbye to her father after the school holidays and headed home to her mom, no one had any idea that this would be their last goodbye. When Elizabeth doesn't make it home, eyes turn to the man she was last seen with - her father's employer - and some dark questions start to rise to the surface. (24-hr...

This episode was first published in the Patreon feed in December 2021. When a Dutch exchange student goes missing while in South Africa, her family, desperate for answers, pin their hopes on South African authorities to find their daughter. When they do, it will be in the worst possible circumstances, and a lifelong chameleon of crime will be unmasked. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support...

In 1997 amidst a surge of serial murder cases across the country, one man began hunting victims in Kroonstad. After very nearly getting away with it, an eagle-eyed cop would bring the series of murders to an end (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.paypal.me/truecrimesa) Instagram · Pin...

Almost two decades after the horrendous double murder, the families are still dealing with the fallout of the crimes and unresolved grief. Then, a conversation in a prison cell changes everything. And just when the families think they may be able to move forward, more bombshells are dropped on their lives. This is part 2 of a two-part podcast series created in collaboration with KykNet around thei...

In 1966, in Odendalsrus, two 12-year-old cousins, Petro Nel and Issie Fourie, walked to the swimming pool to cool off. They were never seen alive again. As the horror in an abandoned building is discovered, the town and three of its families will never be the same. While police launch a massive manhunt for the killers, Issie’s teenage brother makes a vow to ensure she gets justice. It’s a promise...

This is a TCSA Rewind episode - designed to bring more attention to some of the back catalogue of episodes and provide updates in cases I've covered in the past. This episode was first released in May 2020. Listen through to the end for an update. On the 16th of December 2006, South Africa lost one of its brightest stars in the performing arts. Taliep Petersen was gunned down in what, at the time,...

This is me popping into your feed with some updates on a few project deadlines I'm juggling and news on what you can expect to see on TCSA in the next two months. Instagram · Pinterest · Facebook · YouTube · Twitter · LinkedIn

In 1985, a single night of unprovoked violence in a tiny fishing village on the West Coast would change the town forever. The man with the axe and his killing spree would become the stuff of legend in the town for decades. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.paypal.me/truecrimesa) Instagram &...

A group of people, mostly ordinary South Africans, but also a few multimillionaires, woke up one morning in October 2023 to discover that an investment fund they'd counted on for an income for up to 22 years was a complete sham. Overnight, their monthly dividends became the spoils of a criminal scheme, and their lives and futures were changed forever. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support...