TimesLIVE Podcasts True Crime South Africa

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 benefit from awareness being brought to them. This concept has been used in the US for many years and to great success. The listenership formed around true crime podcasts becomes a community that advocates for victims and resolution for families. South African victims now have their own voice too.

True Crime South Africa publishes weekly, alternating between full-length case episodes and shorter minisodes which discuss true crime cases that are currently in the media. The podcast launched on the 22nd of June 2019 and is making waves in the South African podcast community. On the True Crime South Africa social media pages, South African true crime fans finally have a place to call home where they can express their views on cases and discuss the details with like-minded people.

True Crime South Africa is published in conjunction with Arena Holdings, publishers of TimesLIVE, BusinessLIVE, and SowetanLIVE. 

Keywords: crime, true crime, murder, abduction, South Africa, police, law and order
Weekly English Explicit South Africa True Crime · News Narrated by Scott Peter Smith
329 Episodes
180 – 200

Spotlight Minisode 2021 Wrap & Bloopers

As we bid farewell to 2021, I've put together a wrap of the year in true crime in SA as well as a blooper reel of my recording mishaps for the year (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.paypal.me/truecrimesa) Support the…
30 Dec 2021 39 min

Episode 67 - The Murder of Leslie Brockbanks Van Zyl

Leslie van Zyl booked into the Protea Hotel in George on the 28th of August 2000. She did not leave alive. In the years that followed her family would push for justice, but the "do not disturb" sign Leslie's killer hung on the hotel room door, seemed to apply to…
17 Dec 2021 1 hr 01 min

Episode 66 - The Limpopo Serial Killer

In 1991, Mukosi Freddy Mulaudzi was handed down two life sentences for murder. This should have been the end of Mulaudzi's murderous rampage, but it wasn't. For the residents of Limpopo, it was just the beginning of their nightmare (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support…
10 Dec 2021 26 min

Episode 65 - The Serial Crimes of Charmaine Phillips & Pieter Grundlingh

In 1983, a Bonnie and Clyde-like scenario played out in South Africa that would end in the deaths of four innocent people and the death sentence of one of the perpetrators. The surviving perpetrator, a 19-year-old girl, remained the subject of many answered questions (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the…
5 Dec 2021 47 min

Interview with Vanessa Lynch - DNA For Africa

In this episode I interview Vanessa Lynch, DNA Crusader, and representative for DNA for Africa. Vanessa's journey into DNA advocacy started with a devastating loss and her refusal to accept the status quo. She has since been instrumental in the passing of several vital pieces of DNA legislation in South…
25 Nov 2021 1 hr 05 min

Episode 64 - The Disappearance of Le-Jeandre De Bruyn

On the 7th of October 2014, 15-year-old Le-Jeandre De Bruyn disappeared without a trace after receiving a series of notes from an anonymous admirer. Two weeks later, another member of her household disappeared and the mystery would only deepen. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support…
19 Nov 2021 41 min

Episode 64 - The Disappearance of Le-Jeandre De Bruyn

On the 7th of October 2014, 15-year-old Le-Jeandre De Bruyn disappeared without a trace after receiving a series of notes from an anonymous admirer. Two weeks later, another member of her household disappeared and the mystery would only deepen. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support…
19 Nov 2021 41 min

Episode 63 - The Murder of Tandiwe Betty Ketani

In March 2012, a family tearing up carpets in their property make a strange discovery. A confession letter will lead a group of investigators down the multi-layered rabbit hole of a 13 year old murder. This episode is sponsored by CBS Justice. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on…
13 Nov 2021 1 hr 35 min

Episode 62 - The Flower Gang Murders

On the 24th of September 1996 in Nieuwoudtville a gang of five career criminals broke into a home on the farm, Heldersig. By the time they had left three people including a 4-year-old child were dead and a fourth man, barely clung to life (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the…
5 Nov 2021 1 hr 17 min

Spotlight Minisode - Kidnapping for Ransom in SA

One week ago, four young brothers from Polokwane were kidnapped on their way to school. Their father, a wealthy businessman, awaits a ransom demand as it seems clear that the Moti family have been targeted by an organized crime ring. In this minisode, we discuss kidnapping for ransom in South…
28 Oct 2021 26 min

Episode 61 - The Serial Crimes of David Mmbengwa

Between 1996 and 1998 a serial predator was stalking Thohoyandou, Limpopo. He started out with murders framed as robberies, but soon moved on to his real target young lovers meeting up for secret trysts (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on PayPal https://www.paypal.me/truecrimesa)…
23 Oct 2021 40 min

Spotlight Minisode 37

Focus on femicide and female victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse is often significant, but when the victim is a man, it’s difficult to get the public and sometimes even the justice system to treat the crime with the same level of seriousness. In this week’s spotlight minisode, we…
15 Oct 2021 20 min

Episode 60 - The Lotter Family Murders

On the 19th of June 2008, a young man stumbled into Westville police station to report that his girlfriend's parents were dead in their home. The investigation into his claims would unravel one of the strangest and most tragic stories South Africa and seen (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the…
8 Oct 2021 1 hr 44 min

Spotlight Minisode 36

In this week's minisode we discuss a family murder in Oranjeville, the conviction of baby Orderick Lucas' murderer, and the escape from custody of Mohammed Nasir, who is accused of murdering his wife and 8-month-old baby (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on…
1 Oct 2021 20 min

Spotlight Minisode 36

In this week's minisode we discuss a family murder in Oranjeville, the conviction of baby Orderick Lucas' murderer, and the escape from custody of Mohammed Nasir, who is accused of murdering his wife and 8-month-old baby (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on…
1 Oct 2021 20 min

Episode 59 - The Murder of Gill Packham

On the 22nd of February 2018, the night sky around Diep Rivier train station was lit up with the embers of a burning vehicle. Emergency personnel would find the body of a female in the boot of the car. How she came to be there was a matter of betrayal…
24 Sep 2021 1 hr 41 min

Spotlight Minisode 35

In this week's spotlight minisode we cover the efforts of a group of Hermanus residents in stamping out GBV in their community. We also take a first look at the ongoing case regarding the rape and murder of a minor we're calling Baby A, and finally, we discuss the alleged…
16 Sep 2021 24 min

Episode 58 - The Murder of Sinoxolo Mafevuka

On the 2nd of March 2016, a young boy on his way to school discovered the body of a woman in a communal toilet. The investigation that followed would highlight many of the deep inequities in our society and leave a family desperate for answers (Support our Sponsor: https://www.printcrowd.co.za/) (24-hr…
10 Sep 2021 1 hr 07 min

Spotlight Minisode Serial Offender Sentence Analysis

Serial rapist, Thokozani Jiyane, was recently sentenced to eight life sentences plus 223 years for his crimes. What does this sentence actually mean, though? In this minisode, we analyze this sentence with help from BDK Attorneys (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on…
4 Sep 2021 22 min

Episode 57 - The Mystery of Meadowbrook Doe

In 2012, a contractor doing renovations uncovered skeletal remains under a pool that was installed in 1989. The investigation would lead to many different theories and even speculation that one of South Africa's most infamous criminals may be involved in the death of Meadowbrook Doe (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support…
27 Aug 2021 55 min
180 – 200