A wave of violent crimes linked to the dating app Grindr has left young men across South Africa living in fear, with police once again investigating cases of abduction, robbery, and assault.
One of the latest victims, a 23-year-old student and e-hailing driver from Nelson Mandela Bay, says his life has been turned upside down since being lured into a trap in August.
“The fear is still with me every single day,” he said. “I don’t feel safe anymore … I’m scared.”
According to police, the man arranged to meet someone he’d been chatting to on Grindr. Instead, he was ambushed, beaten, and forced into his own car. Armed attackers demanded his PIN, withdrew cash from his account, and eventually abandoned him in a field.
Similar incidents have been reported in recent months, echoing a pattern first uncovered in 2023, when three men were arrested for using the app to target gay men. Those cases collapsed after victims withdrew from court proceedings.
Despite previous arrests, the attacks are resurfacing. Police confirmed two new cases are under investigation in Nelson Mandela Bay, with striking similarities to earlier crimes. Victims are lured with the promise of a date, then kidnapped, assaulted, and extorted.
A Growing Threat Across the Country
These cases are not isolated. In Johannesburg, a student was recently strangled and robbed after arranging a meeting through the app. In Cape Town, men in their 40s and 50s have been abducted and assaulted in separate incidents.
Queer advocacy groups have called the situation a crisis. Seven organisations are demanding urgent action, linking the rise in attacks to what’s become known as the “Grindr Gang” case, in which seven suspects face charges of abducting and extorting a young queer man in Johannesburg in 2023.
Last year, private security firms even suggested banning Grindr in South Africa due to the growing number of cases.
Calls for Safety and Accountability
Activists argue that Grindr has not done enough to protect its users, despite publishing online safety guides and encouraging people to report suspicious activity. For many victims, however, shame, fear, and stigma prevent them from going to the police.
For the Nelson Mandela Bay victim, the scars run deeper than the physical assault.
“I’ve used Grindr since I was in school to connect with people I couldn’t meet anywhere else,” he said. “It always felt safe enough — until that night. Now I’m too afraid to even open the app again.”