StephanZA recounts his scary run-in with a gunman on the N2 with his brother

A Cape Town social media influencer has alleged that he and his brother narrowly escaped what appeared to be an attempted hijacking on the N2 airport access road on Friday evening.

In a video shared online, StephanZA said the incident occurred between about 10:30pm and 11pm as they travelled from the Helderberg area towards Cape Town International Airport.

He alleged that as their vehicle approached the turnpike leading onto the airport access road, a man stepped into the middle of the roadway.

“As we were coming around the corner and up the hill there was a guy with his back towards us who just wandered into the middle of the road and stands there,” he said.

He claimed the man then turned around abruptly and raised what he believed to be a firearm.

“As he lifts his hand, I see that he has a gun trained straight at our car. It looked as if he was aiming at my brother who was driving at the time.”

He said he froze momentarily before urging his brother to accelerate.

“I ducked away and just told my brother to go. The whole thing felt like it was in slow motion,” he said. “I just remember feeling cold afterwards and completely out of it.”

He said they left the area without stopping and later reported the matter. He further alleged that officers informed him that other motorists had reported a similar incident that night, although this has not been independently confirmed.

Concerns about the N2 were further amplified on Wednesday when the City of Cape Town confirmed that three male suspects were reported attempting to stop motorists near Mew Way shortly before 2pm. The City said the suspects allegedly pointed a firearm at vehicles before fleeing the scene.

The incident added to the ongoing debate around policing visibility and infrastructure measures along the busy commuter route, with renewed calls for stronger enforcement, improved coordination between authorities and additional safety interventions.

The N2 corridor between Cape Town and the airport has in recent years been the subject of ongoing safety concerns, with differing views on whether increased policing visibility, infrastructure upgrades or coordinated intergovernmental interventions would be most effective in improving commuter safety.

In the video, StephanZA also entered the broader debate around proposed barrier upgrades along parts of the highway, suggesting that enforcement and increased visible policing should be prioritised over infrastructure measures.

Responding to media queries, SAPS spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala said Nyanga police had no record of the alleged Friday night incident.

“Nyanga police have no record of that incident. However, police are aware of criminal activities reported in the area, and it has been marked as a priority area for heightened police presence,” Gwala said.

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Cape Argus