South Africa: Nearly 200 deaths in shootings in 2026

Since the beginning of 2026, South Africa has recorded at least 41 mass shootings resulting in approximately 196 deaths, according to GI-TOC. The latest violence resulted in 27 deaths during two attacks in September: one in Johannesburg where eight armed men killed 17 people and injured 15, and another in Cape Town where ten people were killed and eleven wounded. These incidents occurred shortly after another shooting in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.