A woman who has been accused of murdering five members of her family for the insurance payout was arrested on Thursday.

The woman allegedly killed her police officer husband, her son who was at university, her two daughters, and her cousin.

But police say there could be more victims of the alleged serial killer and that they are investigating the funeral insurance policies the woman took out with several service providers.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the suspect was arrested in Centurion, Gauteng, in an operation led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in collaboration and with the full cooperation of the insurance company that issued the policies.

The woman is set to appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate's Court on Friday 17 November to face a charge of murder. Police investigations have revealed that she conspired with a doctor who certified that her victims died natural deaths.

Detective Keshi Mabunda, who arrested the woman, was also responsible for nabbing convicted serial killer Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu, a former policewoman who was convicted for the deaths of six people -- her live-in partner and five of her relatives -- between 2012 and 2018.

"For the past two months, Sergeant Keshi Mabunda and a team of detectives have been working on this case following a tip-off from relatives of the suspect," Mathe said.

"The suspect has, according to investigations, pocketed large amounts of money throughout her activities. The SAPS takes this opportunity to urge insurance companies and families to be extra vigilant and alert to such criminal activities."

Mathe said Mabunda was roped in to kick-start investigations because of his expertise in solving similar cases. Through analysis and the collection of evidence, including the exhumation of a body, the team was able to identify the suspect as the first focus of the case.

"The murder that was initially ruled a 'natural death' happened in Mmabatho in the North West where a female relative [the woman's cousin] died under mysterious circumstances in March 2023. Investigations have revealed that the suspect fraudulently took out insurance on behalf of her relative, prior to her murder," Mathe said.

The police team is also investigating the deaths of the suspect's son who died in July 2023, her husband who died in 2016 and her two daughters who died in 2005 and 2015.

The police say they have discovered more suspicious policies and deaths which they are investigating and that could, in time, possibly be linked to the arrested woman.