True Crime South Africa
True Crime South Africa is the first victim-focused true-crime podcast in the country. Host, Nicole Engelbrecht, researches each case herself using media coverage, trial footage, social media sources and often by talking to some of the individuals involved. Using her skills as a creative writer and her passion for true crime, she crafts each script to ensure that listeners are given a deep dive into the case mechanics as well as an understanding of the victims as human beings. The podcast covers both solved and unsolved South African true crime cases. The unsolved cases are often cold cases which can...
Episodes
Stolen Girl Official Companion Podcast Episode 1 - Finding Nadia
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 …
Episode 192 The Murder of Rachel Tshabalala
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 pre…
TCSA Rewind: Episode 110 Part 3 The Murder of Marna Engelbrecht & Sharnelle Hough (with new eps)
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 Engelb…
TCSA Rewind: Episode 110 Part 2 The Murder of Marna Engelbrecht & Sharnelle Hough (with new eps)
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 Engelb…
TCSA Rewind: Episode 110 Part 1 The Murder of Marna Engelbrecht & Sharnelle Hough (with new eps)
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 Engelb…
Interview: Moving Criminal Cases Forward with Sophia Dewberry
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 lamen…
Episode 191 The Murder of Dillie Scholtz
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 …
Revisiting Sithole: The ABC Killer Series - Review, Interview & More
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 person…
Episode 190 A Deadly Weekend
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…
Episode 189 The Murder of Chevonne Rusch
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-ye…
Episode 188 The Jooste Family Massacre
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 nev…
Episode 187 The Murder of Elizabeth Martiens
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 Eli…
TCSA Rewind: Episode 6 The Steenkamp Family Murders (with updates)
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 August 2019. Listen through to the end for …
Episode 186 The Murder of Marleen Konings
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.…
Episode 185 The Serial Crimes of Moeketsi Ramaisa
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 082-8…
Episode 184 The Murder of Petro Nel & Issie Fourie Part 2 of 2
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 b…
Episode 184 The Murder of Petro Nel & Issie Fourie Part 1 of 2
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 familie…
TCSA Rewind: Episode 30 The Murder of Taliep Petersen (with updates)
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 …
Deadlines, Updates & What to Expect in May & June
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
Episode 183 Spree Killer: Koos Sampson
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 hel…
Episode 182 The Crimes of Craig Warriner
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, …
Episode 181 The Sebati Family Massacre
On 6 December 2016, four members of the Sebati family were gunned down in their home. The only surviving member, 15-year-old Onthatile, spent the next five years seemingly struggling with her grief and drifting further away from her extende…
Episode 180 The Barbershop
On a street in Springs, Gauteng, a barbershop sat among many other businesses. Besides being boldly painted there was little that set the property apart from all the others on the street. In 2017, a missing child and a police raid revealed …
Episode 179 The Murder of Zahida Ahmed
When a young mother is taken by violent hijackers her family desperately search for answers. Two weeks after she vanished without a trace, the news they did not want to hear arrives and with it, a truth they cannot fathom. This episode was …
Episode 178 The Wrongful Conviction of Sibusiso Bulose
In 2004 in Inanda, KZN, a man lost his life, and two others were injured in an armed robbery of a vehicle. When an arrest was made the next morning, the victims likely heaved a sigh of relief, but for the arrestee, 16 years of horror lay ah…
Sexual Violence in South Africa - A Podcasthon Episode Dedicated to Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust
If you follow the podcast on social media, you’ll have seen me talking about True Crime South Africa taking part in an international event to raise awareness for charities all over the world. From the 15th of March until 21st of March podca…
Episode 177 The Murder of Lynette Volschenk (Bonus Interview with Tim Tate)
When Lynette Volschenk failed to arrive for work, her colleagues were immediately concerned and went to her home. The young man they found in her apartment claimed he'd been hired by Lynette to clean and paint, but within 30 minutes, he was…
Episode 176 The Murder of Courtney Pieters
When a 3-year-old girl goes missing from her home, a desperate 9-day search ensues by police, her family and community. All manner of possibilities are considered, but the truth lies far closer to home than anyone would suspect. (24-hr trau…
Episode 175 The Serial Crimes of Velaphi Ndlangamandla
When the people of Phoswa Village in Mpumalanga suddenly found themselves the targets of an armed serial predator in 1997, no one was sure who they could trust. Almost a year after the murders began, a task team was formed to hunt down the …
Episode 174 The Murder of Jaco Engelbrecht
When Jaco Engelbrecht was found dead at his home, his wife was the first and only suspect. The trial, though, would not play out like any ordinary murder trial and the verdict and sentence would leave South Africa grappling with the definit…
Special: Human Trafficking - Part 3
True Crime South Africa Specials focus in on one specific true crime topic taking listeners on a deep dive. This special focuses on Human Trafficking (Part 3/3) - What is it? Who and where are the victims? Who are the perpetrators? Listen …
Episode 173 The Murder of Andre Klynsmith
A retired man goes missing and his fiancé says he went golfing and never returned home. When his body is found in his vehicle, though, the evidence doesn't match the story, but police are stumped until someone just can't hold the truth in a…
Episode 172 The Serial Crimes of the Smeddles
When a young couple move into a suburban townhouse complex, they quickly ingratiate themselves into the community. They seem like a lovely pair - ordinary, just living life like anyone else. What their neighbours don't know is that the pair…
Episode 171 A Dangerous Adventure
When an unsuspecting motorist picks up a young couple who simply looks down on their luck, his life changes forever. When the couple, calling themselves Bonnie & Clyde, finally hand themselves over, the question remains, who really called t…
The Station Strangler: Interview with Nadine Cloete
Idea Candy and Showmax recently released a documentary film about one of South Africa's most notorious unresolved serial crimes. The Station Strangler explores the disappearance and subsequent murder of 22 boys from Mitchells Plein from the…
Introducing...Stripped
I don’t know about you, but I really love fiction and audio drama podcasts. It’s like a watching a movie, but with your ears. So, listening to a movie, I guess - but way better. And although South Africa’s podcast landscape has grown hugely…
Episode 170 The Murder of Allison Plaatjies
26 year old Allison Plaatjies life is on an upward trajectory. She's just got her first full-time teaching post, her first car and she's living in her own flat. But there is one part of Allison's life that is not going as planned. Her ex-bo…
Interview - The Fact & Fiction of Crime in SA with Deon Meyer
In today's episode I have the incredible pleasure of chatting with one of the world's most successful crime fiction writers, Deon Meyer. Meyer's books have enthralled and captivated readers in South Africa for decades and our conversation r…
Introducing ... Something Shifted
Today I’m popping into your feed to introduce you to a podcast I love. Something Shifted is created and hosted by Sean Loots who is an incredible human and someone I’m very honoured to know. I already know you appreciate real life stories a…
Episode 169 The Serial Crimes of Shaun Oosthuizen
Between 2015 and 2018, retirement homes in Gauteng and Mpumalanga became the scenes of horrific murders. Some of the most vulnerable members of society were being targeted and the clock was running down for police to make an arrest before a…