Cape Town – A suspected brothel operating behind a sports bar in the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD) has been shut down after city officials and police uncovered what they described as an illegal operation involving dozens of foreign women.
According to IOL, officials from the City of Tshwane and the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department discovered the alleged brothel during an inspection of the Savoy VIP Lounge, which was hidden behind a sports bar.
The premises were closed after the operation revealed multiple rooms being rented out and occupied, raising concerns about possible exploitation and non-compliance with municipal regulations.
City of Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya said the establishment appeared to have been operating for some time. “We’ve found another brothel. This one operated by Nigerian nationals,” she said, adding that “they rent the rooms for R1,000 a week,” a fee reportedly charged to women living or working at the premises.
We’ve found another brothel in the Pretoria CBD. This one operated by Nigerian nationals. We found dozens of women inside rooms at the establishment called Savoy VIP Lounge. They rent the rooms for R1000 a week. This brothel is hidden behind a sports bar. We inspected the… pic.twitter.com/nIcR9hQ2X6
— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) January 17, 2026
Moya also said that all the women found inside were foreign nationals, with “some in possession of valid documentation, and others were not.”
As reported by Sowetan, the mayor shared details of the discovery on social media, highlighting the joint operation between city by-law enforcement officers and the metro police that led to the closure of the venue. City officials said the discovery forms part of ongoing efforts in the CBD to enforce by-laws and shut down illegal businesses masquerading as legitimate establishments.
The closure of the Savoy VIP Lounge follows a series of similar enforcement actions in the Tshwane CBD in recent months. Authorities have previously shut down other venues, including bars and suspected brothels in the CBD, as well as the Pavilion Hotel in Sunnyside, for failing to comply with municipal regulations and standards.
[WATCH] City of Tshwane shuts down the Chinese-owned Pavilion Hotel after officers discover 85 illegally constructed rooms operating as a brothel, generating R340,000 monthly without building plans, Charging the young women R1 000 Weekly to use the rooms pic.twitter.com/jPHLFKBmqx
— THE TRUTH PANTHER 🇿🇦 (@TheTruthPanther) December 10, 2025
We are determined to close down brothels operating in the CBD. This is Accommodation @368 – located in the Pretoria CBD. It has a similar set up to other brothels and it’s operated by illegal Chinese nationals. We arrested 6 foreign nationals that we found inside this bar and… pic.twitter.com/pLXvVW6yX8
— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) December 18, 2025
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
