Introduction: True Crime in South Africa

Some individuals often refer to South Africa as a “lawless state”, based on their experiences with issues such as crime, injustice, gender-based violence, the list goes on. 

Please note that what I’ll talk about in this article happens worldwide, what moved my heart to write about this, is the fact that for the first time, we have a podcast that covers and records real cases that happened in South Africa. 

I’m slightly late to the show, but I thought I’d share this post with you, especially if you are someone who enjoys listening to or watching true crime series or shows.

Why True Crime Stories Matter

In each country, there are ungovernable people, take the true crime documentaries on Netflix for an example. Perpetrators tend to do what they want, which often leads to bigger risks that have dire consequences. One can argue that many factors come into play, but where does one draw the line?

I’m not just speaking about the crime that makes the national news headlines but even the ones where the victim went about a normal day, walking to school or work on a lovely morning, and ended up getting mugged, attacked, killed by a fellow citizen. And that beautiful morning turned into a tragedy. 

Most of these offenders start from small bad habits, poor parenting, lust, and zero respect for abiding the law, Often with a motive, most times just for pure pleasure. They have the mentality of “ got away with it once, might as well do it again”, and their crimes reach full-blown mode” until they are detected and a great number of irretrievably lost lives have been lost as a result of their crimes. 

My Personal Experience With Crime in South Africa

If you’ve followed my blog for some time you would’ve learned that I’m from Qqeberha what you don’t probably know is that I’m from a small area in Qqeberha known as a notorious gangster area. In this area many lives have been lost, even kids I grew up with at school have lost their lives. The saddest is that most crimes in this area are unreported crimes or witnesses refuse to come forth as they are scared of their own lives.

In this area victims who lost their lives never got peace of mind and their killers never faced justice. I have walked past cross-fires and experienced a mugging at gunpoint, a gun in my stomach which could’ve been the end of my life. 

After moving away from the area and exploring different parts of the country, I’ve learned that no matter where you are, whether you live in a glass suburb or not, the clock is always ticking despite the surrounding you find yourself in. 

True Crime South Africa Podcast: An Introduction

As mentioned above, I would like to introduce a podcast I stumble upon during, April 2023 after I exhausted most of the shows I enjoyed watching on Netflix. I love the podcast because unlike most of Netflix’s true crime shows, the host of True Crime South Africa and I lived Through this podcast, Nicole Engelbrecht focuses on telling the stories of the victims rather than glorifying the perpetrators. 

When Was the True Crime South Africa Podcast Launched?

True Crime South Africa was launched on the 22nd of June 2019 and remains in the top 10 most listened podcasts in South Africa. The host initially worked in corporate management for 20 years until she started and created the True Crime South Africa podcast. 

The True Crime South Africa podcast is published in conjunction with Arena Holdings, publishers of TimesLIVE, BusinessLIVE, and SowetanLIVE. Nicole Engelbrecht researched every case herself, using media coverage, social media sources, trial footage, and sometimes speaking to the individuals who were involved in each case she covers. 

Over 100 Episodes (and Counting)

I listened to almost every episode of the 115 Episodes she created thus far. With her amazing creative writing skills and story telling she unwraps and tells the crimes of many major solved and unsolved cases in South Africa. 

True Crime Stories Covered

The podcast covers well-known South African crimes such as:

• The brutal killing of 18-year-old Lekita Moore

• The murder of legendary musician Lucky Dube

• The tragic story of Marike de Klerk, former First Lady of South Africa

Nicole Engelbrecht dives deep into each case, always highlighting the lives of the victims and honoring who they were as human beings.

Why This Podcast Is Unique

I appreciate this podcast because finally there is someone who advocates and who fights for justice and peace for victims by telling their stories. 

The many killings in my community whose families still don’t have answers for lives lost might have an opportunity one day, for their voices to be heard. 

Where to Listen to the True Crime South Africa Podcast

If you enjoy true crime podcasts, I highly recommend checking out Nicole Engelbrecht’s work.

You can listen to True Crime South Africa and her second podcast I Lived Through This on all major podcast platforms, including:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• Google Podcasts

• Podbean

• Stitcher

• iono.fm

• Player.FM

Note: Episodes often contain graphic descriptions of violent crimes, so listener discretion is advised.

Final Thoughts

True Crime South Africa is more than just a podcast—it’s an important platform that humanizes victims and sheds light on South African crimes that might otherwise be forgotten.

If you’re looking for a South African true crime podcast that is gripping, empathetic, and deeply researched, Nicole Engelbrecht’s work deserves your attention.