In certain areas of Cape Town, gangs "now make as much money from extortion as they do from selling drugs", according to a report lifting the lid on extortion in the Mother City.
The report, The Shadow Economy: Uncovering Cape Town’s Extortion Networks, written by Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime researcher Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane, found that extortion is a rapidly worsening problem throughout South Africa.
While extortion is not new to Cape Town, it has increased over the last few years, both in rate and range, Irish-Qhobosheane said.