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
344 Episodes
260 – 280

Episode 40 - The Disappearance of Dawn Burn

A camping trip and reunion of three siblings goes horribly wrong, and when the sun rises in camp the next day, one of them is no longer there. 16 years later we are still asking: Where is Dawn Burn? (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support…
1 Oct 2020 56 min

Episode 39 - Salie Lingevelt: A 1940s Serial Killer

True Crime South Africa — Serial killers are not a modern concept. These terrifying predators have been hunting victims for far longer than we know. In this episode, we explore some of the first cases of serial murder in South Africa, and find out how these "pioneers" of dastardly deeds,…
17 Sep 2020 28 min

Episode 38 - The Disappearance of Eugeine Zane Nel

True Crime South Africa — On the 2nd of March 2016, Eugeine Zane Nel didn't go to work. Home sick with a migraine, his girlfriend left him asleep in bed. He has not been seen since (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the show on…
10 Sep 2020 53 min

Spotlight Minisode 18

True Crime South Africa — In today's spotlight minisode we discuss the recent serial killings in Mthwalume, and two recent convictions that South Africans have been waiting to see handed down (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 Show…
27 Aug 2020 16 min

Episode 37 - The Screwdriver Rapist

True Crime South Africa — In the 1970s, a serial rapist stalked South Africa. He would eventually be caught, and sentenced to death. Although this should have been the end of this story, it was just the beginning (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the…
23 Aug 2020 36 min

Interview: Ryan Blumenthal - Author of Autopsy

True Crime South Africa — In today's episode, I interview Ryan Blumenthal, author of the newly-published book, Autopsy. Ryan is a forensic pathologist and his book is a fascinating foray into this vital component of the death investigation (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa) (Support the…
18 Aug 2020 52 min

Interview: Sean Baumann

True Crime South Africa — Dr Sean Baumann's book, Madness: Stories of Uncertainty and Hope, has recently been published and in this episode, I chat to him about the book as well as his experience as a psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia and psychotic illnesses (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the…
13 Aug 2020 57 min

Episode 36 - The Unsolved Murder of Sibille Zanner

True Crime South Africa — In September 2002, on a clear spring night, Sibille Zanner parked outside the home of her friends. She would be found half an hour later with a crossbow dart in her head. A year later, an arrest would be made, but this would just be…
7 Aug 2020 58 min

Spotlight Minisode 17

True Crime South Africa — A round-up of the most shocking and tragic true-crime cases in the South African media in the last few weeks. (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) (Link to Dead Curious Podcast: https://deadcuriouspod.wixsite.com/info) Support the Show…
30 Jul 2020 19 min

Episode 35 - The Crimes of "P"

True Crime South Africa — In October 2002, a 12-year-old Pietermaritzburg girl was arrested on suspicion of murder. The girl, dubbed "P", would soon become South Africa's youngest convicted murderer (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 Show on…
23 Jul 2020 34 min

Spotlight Minisode: The Missing

True Crime South Africa — South Africa has a huge number of open, unsolved missing person cases at any given time. In this minisode, we discuss some of the advances that have been made by the SAPS to solve this problem and we look at 10 unsolved missing person cases…
19 Jul 2020 29 min

Episode 34 - The Adlington Family Murders

True Crime South Africa — On the 16th of January 2002, something was very wrong in the Adlington family home. The events of that morning would leave only one survivor, barely clinging to life, with a terrifying story to tell (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/truecrimesa)…
10 Jul 2020 1 hour

Interview with Tanya Farber

True Crime South Africa — Just 5% of all murderers are female, but when they do commit murder, they are among the most heinous of criminals. Today we interview Tanya Farber, author of the compelling book, Blood on her Hands, and get some of her insights into women who kill…
2 Jul 2020 37 min

Episode 33 - The Murder of Karabo Mokoena

True Crime South Africa — In April 2017, 22-year-old Karabo Mokoena went missing. Just a few days later her badly burned body was found in a field. Her boyfriend, Sandile Mantsoe claimed she had committed suicide. The truth was far more horrific.(24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support the show on Patreon…
26 Jun 2020 1 hour

Lie to Me: Meet the Deceptionologists

True Crime South Africa — Meet the team of deceptionologists who are breaking through new frontiers in the science of truth and lies. The team also conduct an analysis of the Krugersdorp Killers case and we find out exactly who was telling the truth. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Contact Micro…
18 Jun 2020 1 hr 50 min

Episode 32 - The Waterkloof 4 (Part 2)

True Crime South Africa — In Part 2 of our coverage of the Waterkloof 4 case, we discuss some glaring inconsistencies in the evidence and ask the question - was justice really done? (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…
12 Jun 2020 34 min

Episode 32 - The Waterkloof 4 - Part 1

True Crime South Africa — On the 3rd of December 2001, the body of an identified man was found in Moreleta Park. 18 months later, a teenager would confess to his teacher that he and six of his friends had been keeping a deadly secret. (24-hr trauma helpline 082-821-3447) (Support…
5 Jun 2020 40 min

Spotlight Minisode 15

True Crime South Africa — Although crime statistics have plummeted during lockdown, the most horrific of criminals has not been stopped by its regulations. In our first minisode since the start of lockdown we discuss some of the vicious murders that have been committed in the last two months. Our…
28 May 2020 19 min

Episode 31 - The Mine Dump Child Killer

True Crime South Africa — Sipho Dube was the embodiment of everything we fear. He was a child rapist and killer and he was almost completely invisible. Between 2002 and 2003, this phantom drifted between the mine dumps of JHB luring in children and then committing the most horrendous crimes…
24 May 2020 53 min

Episode 30 - The Murder of Taliep Petersen

True Crime South Africa — On the 16th of December 2006, South Africa lost one of its brightest stars in the performing arts. Taliep Petersen was gunned down in what, at the time, seemed to be a home invasion gone wrong. Soon though, evidence would emerge that this devastating loss…
15 May 2020 48 min
260 – 280