A 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver and student, Isaac Satlat, who was preparing to graduate next month in South Africa, was strangled to death in Pretoria, in an attack that has reignited concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in the country.
The incident was first reported by a South African crime-monitoring platform, CrimeInSA, which posted on X that Satlat was murdered during a violent hijacking.
A dashboard camera, it was learned, captured the fatal attack while he was on duty with a ride-hailing service.
According to CrimeInSA, Satlat was hijacked and strangled before his body and vehicle were abandoned several kilometres away in Moshongo, Attridgeville, on the outskirts of Pretoria.
The killing has provoked widespread outrage among Nigerians on social media, with many citing the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants working in South Africa’s gig economy, particularly e-hailing drivers who often work late hours in high-risk areas.
Beyond his role as a driver, Satlat was a student preparing to graduate next month and had plans to relocate to Canada to continue his education.
His death has intensified grief within the Nigerian community both locally and abroad.
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