Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) — A Somali shopkeeper was shot and killed late Thursday in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Somali-owned businesses across the country.

The victim, identified as Sharmaarke Aadan Mohamed, was gunned down inside a shop in the Booysenpark neighbourhood of Nelson Mandela Bay. Witnesses said armed men stormed the store, opened fire, and fled before police arrived. South African police confirmed they are investigating the killing but reported no arrests.

Somali traders in South Africa, many of whom operate small spaza shops in townships and suburbs, have long been targets of robbery, extortion, and xenophobic attacks. Human rights groups and community organizations have documented dozens of killings of Somali nationals each year. According to figures cited by Somali community leaders in Cape Town earlier this year, more than 1,500 Somali traders have been killed in South Africa over the past two decades.

South African media and police reports show that Somali-owned shops are often pressured by gangs demanding monthly “protection fees.” A 2024 investigation by GroundUp quoted one extortionist admitting that Somali and Pakistani shopkeepers were forced to pay up to 2,000 rand ($105) per month or risk being killed. In August 2024, schools and businesses in Cape Town’s Philippi township were shut down after gangs circulated threats explicitly promising to “kill every Somalian[sic] ” who refused to comply.

The Western Cape provincial commissioner later confirmed the creation of an Extortion Task Team, tasked with breaking up syndicates targeting migrant-owned businesses. Despite these efforts, Somali traders say violent attacks remain routine.

South African police said they are investigating Mohamed’s killing but have made no arrests. Authorities have not disclosed a motive.