JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Eight gunmen armed with assault rifles killed 17 people and wounded 15 others at a bar west of Johannesburg, police said on Sunday, in the latest mass shooting in the crime-weary country.

"They allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing the scene in two unidentified motor vehicles," police said, adding that the incident occurred at around 1930 GMT on Saturday.

The victims included 13 males and four females, police said.

The motive of the shooting was still unknown, police said, adding that the suspects torched two vehicles before fleeing.

"Police have mobilized a team of detectives and other specialized units to trace and apprehend the suspects," they said.

In a separate shooting at an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town early on Sunday, gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 more.

South Africa is awash with legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are common, often fuelled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.

The country of around 62 million people has one of the world's highest murder rates, with about 60 people killed each day.

In March, soldiers moved into violence hotspots in Johannesburg to support police efforts to tackle rampant crime, described by President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the biggest threats facing the country.