At least 27 people were killed and more than two dozen injured after AK-47-wielding gunmen went on the rampage in separate shootings in South Africa on Saturday night.

Mass shootings in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the nation’s largest cities, is the latest horrifying violence in the Rainbow Nation, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

In the first shooting, several men armed with AK-47 rifles and handguns opened fire on diner outside a bar in the Welda township near Johannesburg at around 9:30 p.m. local time.

Upset locals react at the scene of a shooting in Lwandle, Western Cape, South Africa, Sept. 27, 2026.

Residents stand behind police tape near a bar stormed by gunmen near Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 27, 2026.

They continued shooting as they stormed the bar, killing 17 people — 13 men and four women — in the process, police said.

Another 15 victims were injured as gunmen torched two vehicles in the onslaught.

Hours later, at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday, gunmen entered a barbecue restaurant in the Lwandle township east of Cape Town, killing 10 people and injuring a further 11.

At least eight unidentified armed men are being sought over the Johannesburg shooting and multiple perpetrators are on the run following the Cape Town attack.

Emergency workers at the scene of the deadly shooting at a tavern near Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 27, 2026.

No arrests have been made yet in either attack, police said.

The two mass shootings come less than a week after an attack on a house party in a township south of Durban on Sept. 15, when gunmen funneled partygoers into a room before opening fire, killing 11 people including a pregnant woman.

Roughly 60 people are killed every day in South Africa, a country of 62 million people.

With Post wires.

A general view of an entertainment venue is seen in Somerset West, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, after gunmen stormed the premises. Gunmen killed at least 27 people in two mass shootings in South Africa’s two main cities, including 10 people at the venue.

Source: https://nypost.com/2026/09/27/world-news/south-africa-police-launch-manhunt-after-17-killed-in-tavern-shooting/