A British man is among five people who have been shot dead in protests in South Africa.

The 40-year-old victim, who was reportedly a doctor on holiday in the country, was killed in the Ntlangano Crescent area of Cape Town last Thursday, officials said.

It is believed he had taken a wrong turn from a nearby airport while driving with two other people. A group then approached the vehicle and shot him.

Five separate murders have been recorded during unrest sparked by a week-long strike by minibus taxi drivers.

The protests on the outskirts of the country’s second-largest city have seen stone-throwing, road blockades, looting, arson and public violence, the South African Police Service said.

The taxis’ national union, which is angry at what it calls heavy-handed tactics by police and city authorities in impounding vehicles, said its members are not instigating violence.

Residents of Masiphumelele throw bottles at law enforcement officers amidst an ongoing strike by taxi operators against traffic authorities in Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2023. REUTERS/Esa Alexander

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in South Africa and are in contact with the local authorities.”