CAPE TOWN, Sept 2, 2025 – A Somali national was shot and killed in Cape Town, South Africa, in what community members say is the latest in a string of deadly attacks targeting Somali-owned businesses in the country.
The victim, identified as Abdi Fitah Mahmoud Beeryare, was gunned down inside a shop where he worked in the Wesbank area, a suburb on the outskirts of Cape Town, according to local sources.
Armed assailants entered the store and opened fire on Beeryare while he was attending to his duties. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting, and no arrests have been reported so far.
Police officers and members of the Somali community arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, with authorities confirming that investigations into the killing are underway.
“This is yet another painful reminder of the insecurity we face daily,” said a Somali community member who requested anonymity. “Somali business owners in Cape Town are living in fear, and these killings continue with little to no accountability.”
Targeted attacks on Somali shopkeepers and business owners have been on the rise in various neighborhoods around Cape Town, sparking concerns among the diaspora community over what they describe as an increasingly hostile environment.
Despite repeated appeals from Somali community leaders for increased protection and justice, most of the previous killings have gone unresolved.
South Africa hosts a sizable Somali diaspora, many of whom are engaged in small businesses, particularly in low-income urban areas where violence and crime rates remain high.
