True Crime South Africa

I was on a podcast! And not just any podcast - one of my personal favourites! Something Shifted with Sean Loots is an award-winning South African storytelling podcast and in this excerpt you'll get a taste of Sean's interview with me. I answer questions like: Am I a psychopath? What happens when you grow up in a seismic testing centre? And, most importantly: How do I sleep at night? If you've ever...

Neighbours had called Sibusiso Mpungose an excellent father, citing how much time he seemed to spend with his children. But when his life began to unravel and it seemed he was going to have to answer for his actions, he chose instead to ensure that everyone left behind would suffer the real consequences. On an ordinary Tuesday in September 2019 he carried out a ghastly plan which would end four li...

This is a Rewind release of an episode originally published in May 2020. The episode has been re-recorded and updated with new and additional information. Sipho Dube was the embodiment of everything we fear. He was a child rapist and killer and he was almost completely invisible. Between 2002 and 2003, this phantom drifted between the mine dumps of JHB luring in children and then committing the mo...

Over a period of four months Gugulethu, Nyanga and Delft in the Western Cape, were terrorised by a violent and coldblooded gang. Among the victims was an entire family slain in their beds as they slept. When a seasoned investigator was put on the case, he started to make progress almost immediately, and soon realised that rather than a highly organised group of criminals, these crimes were being c...

25-year-old Sasha Lee Shah was building an incredible life for herself. She excelled academically, worked her way into a good job and was securing financial stability. The future was bright. But, by 2021, one part of Sasha Lee’s life was less steady. Her long-term relationship was crumbling under the weight of devastating revelations and Sasha Lee called it quits. Her ex, though, was not ready to...

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 February 2020. Listen through to the end for an update including additional information I've received since the initial episode was published. Unlike most other rewind episodes, this one has been complet...

Occasionally, a group of criminals commits a series of crimes so infamous that the story becomes part of South African crime folklore. When this happens, without fail, the story becomes distorted and sometimes, the reality of the brutality gets lost in the fray. This is the true story of a group of criminals who terrorised South Africa in 1913 and 1914 and the hidden legacy they left behind. Discl...

As South Africans, it's not uncommon for us to hear an accused person claim that the devil made them do it. In her new book, accomplished academic and all-round cool human, Dr Nicky Falkof explores this segment of crime in our country, its origins and all the ways it influences justice. In this episode we discuss the book, some of its case studies and our experiences with occult crime allegations...

28 year old Donovan de Jongh was a vulnerable man living with intellectual disabilities in the Western Cape when he was lured into a vehicle with three men with the promise of some take away food for dinner. What followed was an incredibly horrendous crime which shocked even communities who lived among gang violence on a daily basis. It would also make legal history in South Africa. (24-hr trauma...

In the early 1990s Norwood was shaken by a series of violent rapes and murders. When the violence spread to areas on the East Rand, police had to wonder if this was the same perpetrator. It was vital to catch him as quickly as possible, but there was also a serious possibility that this predator was one of them. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon....

In 2019 and 2022 two major events changed the legislation which governs the publication of the names of minor offenders, victims and witnesses in South Africa. These are changes that are vital for every South African to understand. In this episode I unpack why the changes happened and it what it means for content creators and ordinary citizens. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the sho...

Where the heck is episode 200, Nicole? I’ve been asked this question a lot recently, and if you don’t follow the podcast on social media you might not know the answer. So, here it is: Because episode 200 is a pretty big milestone for the podcast and all of you awesome listeners, I’m trying to set up something a bit different for it. You’ll see I have been releasing content in the meantime, just no...

I am very quickly popping into your feed to tell you about two new movies hitting the big screen on the 6th of February. You’ll hear ads for these two being inserted into your feed around now and if you want to win tickets to see them you should definitely keep an eye on the pod’s social media. Here’s me telling you about Wildcat and The Strangers Chapter 3 Instagram · Pinterest · Fa...

Gangsterism continues to stand in the way of communities trying to live peaceful lives and raise children in safety. In this discussion with fiction writer, James Fouche, we unpack the very real cost of crime on ordinary South Africans and how he has tried to portray that through the characters in his new book, Gray. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.pat...

The brand-new release movie Dead Man's Wire hits cinemas across South Africa on 23 January, and it is based on a very real and incredibly bizarre story. In this companion podcast - brought to you by Empire Entertainment - we delve down into the true story behind a 68-hour hostage drama that changed the media, law enforcement and the legal world. Instagram · Pinterest · Facebook &midd...

Part 2 of 2 In 2015 a slew of Hawks officers descended on a nondescript home in Bloemfontein. After detaining Danish national Peter Frederiksen the officers' first stop was his freezer. Inside, they found exactly what Peter's terrified wife had confessed they would. That discovery, though, was just the beginning of a very dark road they were about to head down with Frederiksen which spanned almost...

In 2015 a slew of Hawks officers descended on a nondescript home in Bloemfontein. After detaining Danish national Peter Frederiksen the officers' first stop was his freezer. Inside, they found exactly what Peter's terrified wife had confessed they would. That discovery, though, was just the beginning of a very dark road they were about to head down with Frederiksen which spanned almost his entire...

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 December 2022. Listen through to the end for an update including additional information I've received since the initial episode was published. When 20-year-old Siam Lee went missing from her place of wor...

In the 1950s in the KZN Midlands, one of the country's first recorded serial killers began a series of crimes which would go down in history for a few different reasons. More than 70 years later, this vintage true crime case remains one of the most infamous tales of coldblooded murder in South Africa. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecri...

When a well-known magistrate is found murdered in her home, the Crimes Against the State unit are called in to investigate what could be another terrible silencing of a voice of justice. The truth behind Romay van Rooyen's murder, though, was far closer to home. This episode was first released in the Patreon feed in Feb 2025 Chapters: 00:00:00 - 00:00:09 Intro 00:10:00 - 00:03:48 Support the Show...

This is a crossover episode from Jonathan Ball's Pagecast podcast. In this episode, Nicole Engelbrecht is interviewed by journalist and director of Beauty and the Bester, Anthony Molyneaux about Nicole's new book: Bare Bones: Cold Cases From True Crime South Africa Instagram · Pinterest · Facebook · YouTube · Twitter · LinkedIn

In 2023, a middle-aged accountant stood in the dock in the JHB Specialised Crimes Court at Palm Ridge and received a 25 year sentence. Her unassuming appearance belied the 13 years she had spent systematically draining her employer's bank account. In the end, the judge would say that this was the most significant financial crime he had ever presided over. Steenkamp, though, claimed it wasn't all h...

When a family of four is attacked in their home and there is only one survivor, with a regularly alternating version of what occurred, Vanderbijlpark police quickly become suspicious. When the truth is finally revealed, it is far more horrendous than anyone could ever have imagined. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the...

The brand-new release movie Shelby Oaks hits cinemas across South Africa today, and in addition to being an incredible film in the horror genre, it also brings several true crime themes to the fore. When Riley Brennan goes missing her sister Mia is thrust into the world of missing people and the ambiguous loss and deep desperation that accompanies the experience. In this companion podcast - brough...

In 2002 Claudia Mokone was killed after being struck with shrapnel from a bomb blast near her home. Her senseless death was part of a much larger plan for a group of men who called themselves the Boeremag. In this episode I discuss the case, the group and their trial with the author of the book The High Treason Club, Karin Mitchell, and the SAPS detective who cracked the case, Col. Tollie Vreugden...