Épisodes

  • The Hostage Whisperer: Inside SAPS' Elite Negotiation Unit with Dr Ernst Strydom
    Jun 18 2025

    This week, Profiler Africa goes behind the scenes of South Africa’s most high-stakes standoffs with Dr Ernst Strydom — SAPS’ former National Coordinator of Hostage Negotiations.

    Host Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne dig into the psychology of crisis and negotiation, guided by the man who trained the nation’s negotiators and led SAPS through hijackings, bomb threats, and terrorist incidents.

    🔍 In this episode:

    • What makes a hostage-taker tick — and how negotiators break the cycle

    • Inside SAPS responses to terrorism, kidnappings, and mass casualty events

    • The anatomy of a standoff — and what finally makes people crack

    • Where SAPS got crisis psychology right… and where it didn’t

    👤 About our guest:
    Dr Ernst Strydom is a retired SAPS colonel, educational psychologist, and one of South Africa’s leading voices in hostage negotiation and trauma response. Over 30 years, he built and led the country’s negotiation units, trained over 70 teams, and represented SAPS internationally — including at the FBI Academy.

    🧠 New episodes weekly. Subscribe and follow to stay updated.

    📩 Got questions or feedback? Email: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com
    🔗 More: plotshiftcrime.co.za

    Follow Profiler Africa on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.


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    1 h et 33 min
  • A Fine White Treason | Inside the Boeremag’s deadly plot to overthrow South Africa
    Jun 11 2025

    In this explosive episode, Paul and Gerard sit down with retired Colonel Tollie Vreugdenburg — former head of SAPS Counter-Terrorism — to expose the chilling truth behind one of the most dangerous domestic terror plots in South African history: the Boeremag.

    This white supremacist militia planned to bomb the country into civil war, assassinate Nelson Mandela, and launch a violent coup. But thanks to Tollie and a small team of investigators, South Africa narrowly avoided its own 9/11.

    Inside the episode:

    • Who the Boeremag were — and why they were more dangerous than you think

    • “Document 12”: the plan for a white ethnostate

    • Bombings, betrayal, and a doomsday that almost happened

    • How the police cracked the plot just in time

    • Religious prophecy, survivalism, and apocalyptic racism

    • Why this case still matters today

    About our guest:
    Col. Tollie Vreugdenburg led the SAPS investigation that brought the Boeremag down. A veteran of Limpopo’s Murder and Robbery unit, he was central to exposing the coup plot. He also contributed to The High Treason Club, the definitive book on the case.

    🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: Profiler Africa
    📅 Premiering Tuesday 10 June, 8pm CAT

    Support & Follow:
    Patreon: patreon.com/profilerafrica
    YouTube Memberships | Super Likes | IG | Twitter | Facebook
    Website: plotshiftcrime.co.za

    📩 Questions for Gerard, or the team?
    Email us: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com

    #ProfilerAfrica #Boeremag #HighTreason #SouthAfricanTrueCrime #DomesticTerror #SAPS #MandelaPlot #ColTollieVreugdenburg #GerardLabuschagne #PaulLlewellyn


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    1 h et 48 min
  • Blood on the Land: The Human Toll of South Africa’s Farm Murders
    Jun 4 2025

    This week on Profiler Africa, we go deep into one of the most brutal and misunderstood crime waves in South Africa — farm murders.

    Host Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne are joined by veteran detective Gawie “Sakkie” Louwrens, who’s investigated over 300 farm killings. Now retired from SAPS, Sakkie leads an independent rural crime unit taking on what the police can’t — or won’t.

    Forget the headlines and political spin. This episode is about the real people living — and dying — on South Africa’s farms.

    🔍 What we cover:

    • What the stats really say about farm attacks

    • Why economics, not race, drives most of these crimes

    • Six harrowing cases: torture, arson, air rifles, and more

    • The myth of “white genocide” and how it hurts real prevention

    • Survivors, families, and the frontline investigators

    • What needs to change to break the cycle

    🧠 Guest:
    Gawie “Sakkie” Louwrens — 26 years in SAPS, former head of Limpopo’s murder and organised crime unit, now founder of Bosveld Misdaad Ondersoeke, an independent rural crime task team.

    New episodes every Tuesday
    🕗 This week’s episode drops 3 June at 8pm CAT

    Support the show:

    • Become a member: youtube.com/profilerafrica/join

    • Patreon: patreon.com/profilerafrica

    • Super Likes = shoutouts 🎉

    Follow Profiler Africa
    Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
    🔗 plotshiftcrime.co.za

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    1 h et 10 min
  • Farm Murders: Crime, or Conspiracy?
    May 28 2025

    Profiler Africa | Episode Out Now

    Who’s really killing who in South Africa?

    In one of our most explosive episodes yet, Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne sit down with Dr Chris de Kock, former head of SAPS Crime Research, to pull the mask off one of South Africa’s most politicised crime topics: farm murders.

    Forget the hashtags, headlines, and hype. We’re cutting through the myth, the fear, and the politics — and getting to the truth.

    • What farm murders are — and what they’re not

    • Whether white farmers are being specifically targeted

    • Why the “white genocide” narrative won’t die

    • What SAPS stats say vs. AfriForum's claims

    • How race, media and fear shape the national story

    • What needs to change in how we talk about and prevent rural crime

    Dr Chris de Kock is South Africa’s former head of Crime Information Analysis at SAPS. For decades, he’s been inside the system — and he knows what the numbers really say.

    📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube
    🕗 Tuesday 27 May | 8PM CAT
    🔗 Become a YouTube member here

    • 🎁 Join our Patreon: patreon.com/profilerafrica

    • 💬 Got a question for us? Email: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com

    • 📲 Subscribe & follow us everywhere: • Instagram • Twitter • Facebook • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Website: plotshiftcrime.co.za

    🔎 This episode unpacks:🎙️ Guest Spotlight:💥 Support & Connect:

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    1 h et 37 min
  • The Etwatwa Family Axe Murders | The Little Killer | South African Serial Ep 3
    May 23 2025

    We delve into one of the most disturbing familicides in South African history — the Etwatwa family murders.

    On May 23, 2013, a 14-year-old boy in Johannesburg’s East Rand took an axe to his mother, grandmother, six-year-old brother, and four-month-old sister. Four lives ended in one night. A quiet street turned crime scene. A community left reeling. And a nation asking: how could a child commit such horror?

    We unpack the chilling events, the whispers of satanism and abuse, and the state's struggle to understand a boy turned killer. With little media coverage and fewer answers, a small team of investigators worked in the shadows to piece together a case that still haunts many today.


    ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and emotionally raw interviews. Some language reflects the trauma experienced by those involved. Listener discretion is strongly advised.


    🔥 Support the Show:

    • Join us on YouTube for early access and exclusive content.

    • Become a patron: patreon.com/profilerafrica

    • Send a Super Like and get a shoutout next week.


    💬 Talk to Us:

    • Subscribe, rate, and review — it helps others find us.

    • Got thoughts or questions for Gerard and the team? Email: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com


    #SouthAfricanSerial #EtwatwaMurders #TrueCrimePodcast #ProfilerAfrica #Familicide #JuvenileKiller #CrimeStories #DifficultTruths


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    49 min
  • Serial Killer Cop | Kobus Geldenhuys: The Terror of Norwood | South African Serial Ep 2
    May 22 2025

    This is the case that chilled Johannesburg to the bone.

    Between 1989 and 1992, Kobus Geldenhuys — a police officer sworn to protect — unleashed a wave of terror across the city. He raped, murdered, and broke into homes while wearing the badge. By the time it was over, five women were dead, and a community had lost all trust in the uniform.

    This week, we dig into how Geldenhuys hid in plain sight, and the twisted psychology that drove his crimes. We’re joined by journalist Janine Lazarus, who worked with police during the hunt — even acting as bait to help catch him. Her story is raw, riveting, and unlike anything you’ve heard.

    🎧 Early Access: Thursday 8 May (YouTube Channel Members)
    🎧 Public Release: Thursday 15 May, 8AM CAT

    ⚠️ Listener Warning: Contains descriptions of sexual violence, trauma, and firsthand accounts that may disturb some listeners. Discretion is advised.

    💥 Want More?
    Unlock early episodes and bonus extras:
    👉 Patreon.com/ProfilerAfrica
    👉 Join on YouTube for exclusive perks.

    📩 Have a question for Gerard?
    Email: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com

    #NorwoodKiller #SouthAfricanSerial #ProfilerAfrica #KobusGeldenhuys #TrueCrimeSA #JanineLazarus #SerialKillers #SAPS #TrueCrimePodcast


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    45 min
  • Profiling Killers: From South Africa to Scotland Yard
    May 21 2025

    Psychologist. Intelligence specialist. Co-author of Killer Stories. This week, Paul and Gerard sit down with Brin Hodgskiss for a heavyweight conversation on the dark art of criminal profiling — from Johannesburg to the UK.

    Brin’s career spans burglary to terrorism, serial rape to murder, with 15 years in British law enforcement after starting out in SAPS. Now with the NHS, he brings that same insight to storytelling, consulting on the psychology of narrative and transformation.

    We get into:

    • Profiling: SA vs UK — what’s different, what works
    • The inner monologues of serial offenders
    • Interviewing violent criminals (hint: it’s nothing like Netflix)
    • How story drives both crime and rehabilitation
    • What police psychology can teach us outside the interrogation room

    🎧 Killer Stories: Conversations with South African Serial Murderers is out now.


    Coming Next Week: Farm Murders, Fear & FactsWe’re live with Chris de Kock — former SAPS head of Crime Information Analysis — cutting through the noise on rural violence.

    We unpack:

    • What the stats on farm murders really say
    • The roots of the “white genocide” myth
    • Who’s most at risk of violent crime in SA
    • How SAPS is shifting its rural crime strategy

    📺 Watch it live on YouTube | Tues 27 May, 8PM CAT on Youtube

    Support Profiler Africa

    • Join our Patreon: patreon.com/profilerafrica
    • Become a YouTube Member for bonus content
    • Drop a Super Like and we’ll shout you out

    Follow & Subscribe📱 Instagram | Twitter | Facebook🎙️ Spotify | Apple Podcast🌍 plotshiftcrime.co.za

    💬 Got a question for Gerard or our guests? Email us: profilerafricainfo@gmail.com


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    1 h et 31 min
  • 🔥 When Fire Becomes Murder: Profiling Arsonists with Ed Nordskog
    May 13 2025

    No case breakdown. No fluff. Just a gripping conversation with one of the world’s top arson and bombing experts.

    We’re joined by Ed Nordskog—retired arson/bomb investigator for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, FBI instructor, US Marine vet, and author of six essential books on fire-related crime. With over 2,100 arson cases under his belt and profiles on dozens of serial arsonists, Ed is the real deal.

    Together with Paul and Gerard, he unpacks:
    – What makes a serial arsonist tick– How investigators track killers who burn– The brutal realities of fire death scenes– Why arson is one of the most overlooked serial crime types in the world

    If you’re into criminal profiling, forensic psych, or just want to hear from someone who’s literally walked through fire for justice—this one’s for you.

    🎙️ Support Us:Patreon: patreon.com/profilerafrica

    📲 Follow Profiler Africa:Instagram |

    Twitter |

    Facebook |

    YouTube |

    plotshiftcrime.co.za


    #EdNordskog #ProfilerAfrica #TrueCrime #ArsonInvestigation #SerialArsonists #ForensicPsychology #FireSetters #TrueCrimeInterview #CriminalProfiling #CrimeExperts #GerardLabuschagne #PaulLlewellyn #CrimePodcast #ArsonDetective #TrueCrimeCommunity #ForensicScience #RealCrimeStories #LawEnforcementInsights #CriminalInvestigation #CrimeContent


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    1 h et 59 min