9 South African true-crime series, ranked

South Africa has a complex and violent history with many of its cities and neighbourhoods regarded as some of the most dangerous in the world. This year, Pietermaritzburg and Nelson Mandela Bay are among the highest based on their crime and murder index.  

What drives criminals and what is it about the darker side of human nature that compels our morbid curiosity? This grim fascination powers these nightmarish explorations and has led to a surge of true crime series about some of the darkest and most audacious acts. In this light, we’ve ranked the best Showmax Original true crime series now available to stream.  

1. The ABC Killer

In 1995, journalist Tamsen de Beer was working the night shift at The Star newspaper when she got a call from someone claiming to be South Africa’s most prolific serial killer.

The kind of serial killer who would go on to be convicted of 38 murders and 40 rapes – all committed in the space of just over a year, in broad daylight, while sober.

“He was our Ted Bundy,” says director Jasyn Howes. The ABC Killer is his second series in a row for Showmax about a 90s serial killer. The first, Boetie Boer, about Stewart Wilken, was nominated at last year’s SAFTAs for Best Documentary Series and Best Editor (Jaco Laubscher, who also cut The ABC Killer).

Alongside re-enactments filmed in the actual locations where the events took place, The ABC Killer features interviews with Tamsen, South Africa’s first profiler Micki Pistorius, nd former detectives Ettiene “Vinyl” Viljoen, Frans van Niekerk, and Paul Nkomo, among others.

2. Devilsdorp 

The West Rand mining town of Krugersdorp is the setting of Devilsdorp, a four-part true crime documentary series based on a series of satanic killings. When the bodies of two financial advisors were discovered in car boots, Krugersdorp went on high alert with curfews as talk of a serial killer swept across town. After children discovered the body of a property agent dumped in a field, it became clear that victims were being lured to their death as part of appointments… but why? 

This compelling and unsettling docuseries details eleven deaths at the hands of a Satanic cult between 2012 and 2016. The story tracks the grisly murders, which followed a devout Christian group’s attempt to help a high-ranking former witch escape a Satanic Church. Interviews reveal the dark and twisted side of the town as the series delves into the psychology and motivation behind the killings. 

3. Catch Me a Killer 

Catch Me a Killer is a heartbreaking adaptation of a memoir by South Africa's first serial killer profiler, Micki Pistorius, a former journalist. This engrossing crime thriller journeys with the newly-qualified forensic psychologist and profiler who must prove herself in a male-dominated detective unit in the mid-90s while on the hunt for the most notorious serial killers. 

The informative and entertaining 10-episode true crime series tracks the country's escalating spate of crime and murder, focusing on cases from the Station Strangler to Stewart "Boetie Boer" Wilken. Led by Charlotte Hope (Game of Thrones) as the spirited young Pistorius, this is a nuanced, powerful and slow-burning crime drama series. 

4. Boetie Boer 

Having our fair share of serial killers, one of the most sadistic is without a doubt Stewart Wilken whose crimes include cannibalism and necrophilia. The five-part true crime docuseries Boetie Boer: Inside the Mind of a Killer investigates the infamous serial killer's disturbing crimes against prostitutes and young boys, which took place between 1990 and 1997 in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha).  

A retrospective on the man before he became a monster, the vivid series explores his traumatic childhood and inherent psychological factors. Through beautifully crafted dramatisations that recreate scenes around the crimes and police investigation, this provocative and unsettling series offers a chilling account of Wilken’s exploits. 

5. Tracking Thabo Bester 

Some stories are larger than life, the kind of bizarre tales you just can’t make up and Tracking Thabo Bester documents one of the strangest. From a covert jailbreak conspiracy to an international manhunt onto a stormy Bonnie & Clyde romance on the lam, this gobsmacking and timely four-part true crime docuseries has it all.  

When GroundUp broke the news story that infamous convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester had not burned to death in his prison cell, the South African media and public went into a wild frenzy of speculation. Working with his lover, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, the two became embroiled in an international scandal involving stolen bodies and other jaw-dropping scams. 

6. Steinheist 

In a monumental scandal, arguably the biggest instance of corporate fraud in South Africa, the shockwaves caused by the implosion of Steinhoff International led to massive losses in excess of R200 billion for investors and pensioners. Steinheist investigates the events surrounding the company’s collapse through interviews from high profile businessmen to journalists and pundits. 

This comprehensive and sleek docuseries starts as a character portrait of Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste and unveils his tenacious reputation. Steinheist proceeds to unpack the story from an excavation of the machismo of the Stellenbosch fraternity mindset through to the deceptive accounting fraud and insidious corruption that transpired in the build-up to the devastating corporate scandal. 

7. Rosemary’s Hitlist 

In movies about serial killers, it’s usually the cops who are hot on the trail of a slippery murderer. In the case of the true crime docuseries Rosemary’s Hitlist, the cop and criminal are one and the same. Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu received six life sentences for the murder of her lover and family members as part of a deadly scam to claim on life and funeral insurance policies. 

This chilling story based on actual events details Rosemary's descent from an unpredictable cop with a gambling addiction to a cold-blooded and rage-fuelled killer. From a crime of passion involving 76 stab wounds to the brutal murder of several family members, Rosemary's Hitlist presents a matter-of-fact account with commentary from colleagues, family and friends. 

8. Convict Conman 

Convict Conman tells the shocking true crime story of a charming businessman and his unexpected connection to a con artist. From a high-flying media mogul to the predatory actions of a small-town model boss, this disturbing and engaging docuseries traces journalists who investigate a man known for his exploitation of aspiring models. 

From emotionally devastating interviews with his victims and key journalists to the subject in question, this intimate and unsettling documentary details the nature of the crimes and the modus operandi. A cautionary tale, Convict Conman weaves a powerful chronicle about stranger danger, the allure of dreams and the devastation of what happens behind closed doors. 

9. Dark Side of Glory 

Professional athletes go further, higher and faster as they master their bodies and achieve extraordinary results. This casts them into the limelight as national sporting endeavours inspire us to follow in their footsteps. This is why the two-part true crime docuseries Dark Side of Glory is so shocking… showing just how far our heroes can fall. 

In episode 1, the documentary uncovers the horrific true story of Joseph Ntshongwana who went from promising Blue Bulls rugby player to axe murderer in 10 years. Interviews with investigating officers and key witnesses recount the murders of four men as the finger pointed to Ntshongwana. In episode 2, the series turns its attention to another spate of murders in the world of sports when three top athletes from Kenya were killed over the course of six months. 

10. False Glory 

In the compelling three-part documentary False Glory, the cautionary series explores the darker side of sports as it gets to grips with cheating and deception. In episode 1, The Comrades Marathon, the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, is the focus. An iconic event, the 1999 Comrades Marathon was marred by a shocking incident of cheating when twins swapped places halfway during the 88 km race to finish in ninth place.  

Then in episode 2, an exhibition soccer game set to take place between Togo and Bahrain in 2011 turns out to be a non-event at the hands of a match-fixer said to have “arranged” more than 80 matches worldwide. Finally, in episode 3, False Glory explores the ethical practices of top European scouts who take advantage of football players from the African continent. 

Bonus South African true-crime pick

Huisgenoot Ware Lewensdramas S1-10

The grand dame of South African popular magazines has always brought us breaking news of our most sensational crime cases, along with the dramatic real-life stories of fallen public figures like Joost van der Westhuizen and Hansie Cronje. Over eight seasons to date, you can take a deep dive into their stories on Showmax.

With all the access to the reporters’ untold stories and unpublished pictures, along with in-depth knowledge of the cases from court reporters, and access to investigators, this is the ultimate true-crime series to get you into the know. Explore the monstrous tale of pedophile serial killer Gert van Rooyen and his murder-suicide with his partner Jeoy Haarhof in 1990, or get to grips with the modern murder of Annie Liebenberg and Michael Zantow, whose killers, Stanley Lingena and Sithembiso Hlongwane, were sentenced to life in prison in April 2023. Huisgenoot Ware Lewensdramas has the story.

PS: Huisgenoot Ware Lewensdramas: Vlees en Bloed, also on Showmax, examines true-crime stories of family murder.