CAPE TOWN, Jan 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Gunmen killed seven people in a township outside the South African city of Cape Town early on Saturday in an incident believed to be extortion-related, police said.

The attack is the latest in a string of mass shootings that have shaken the crime-weary country of 63 million people.

"Police are investigating a shooting incident in Marikana that claimed the lives of seven people -- one woman and six men aged between 30 and 50," police said in a statement.

Three people were also wounded in the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight and was "believed to be linked to extortion in the area", it said.

"The suspects fled the scene and no arrests have been made," police said, adding that a manhunt had been launched and investigations were ongoing.

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised nation, is grappling with entrenched crime and corruption driven by organised networks.

On average, around 63 people were killed each day between July and September last year, according to police data.

Two separate mass shootings in December, in which gunmen stormed a hostel and a bar, left two dozen people dead, including several children.

Saturday's attack occurred in the city's Cape Flats area, which has a reputation for gang violence and where over 2,000 murders were recorded in the first nine months of 2025.