Twelve dead, nine injured after late-night shooting near Johannesburg

Eleven people died at the scene, police say, with a 12th person succumbing to their injuries in hospital. (X: Thegrandmaboy)

Twelve people are dead and nine are injured after a shooting near Johannesburg, police say.

The suspects are alleged to have opened fire at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.

Investigators will explore links to illegal mining gangs that operate in and around Johannesburg.

At least 12 people have been killed and nine injured after gunmen opened fire at an informal settlement near Johannesburg, South African authorities say.

Police said in a statement that they had launched a manhunt for more than 10 suspects following the late-night attack at the Jumpers informal settlement at Cleveland, about 6 kilometres east of Johannesburg's city centre.

The motive for the attack is not known and no arrests have been made.

Police said the suspects arrived in a white Toyota minibus and entered the settlement from two access points around 11pm on Tuesday.

They opened fire at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.

The victims were nine males and three females, according to police.

Eleven of them died at the scene and the 12th died in hospital.

The attack occurred at Cleveland, about 6 kilometres from the centre of Johannesburg. (AP: Denis Farrell)

South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, averaging about 60 a day.

Informal settlements in South Africa are unplanned residential areas usually made up of shacks or similar structures.

There have been several high-profile mass shootings in South Africa recently, including two in December that killed more than 20 people in total.

The shootings are sometimes linked to illegal mining gangs that operate in and around Johannesburg, with fierce competition between illicit businesses.