• Three men in the same house survived after sleeping in a separate room when the gunmen opened fire.

• Residents suspect the killings are linked to extortion rackets demanding protection money in the area.

Gunmen stormed into a shack in Gugulethu's Kanana informal settlement in the early hours of Friday morning and shot seven men dead.

The men were gathered in a kitchen when they were ambushed. They all died on the scene.

Three others who were sleeping in a different room at the time survived the attack.

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A woman who lives nearby said she first thought the noise was people fixing their shacks.

"It has been raining since Wednesday, so I assumed someone was repairing their home. Then I saw the police van and knew it was something else," she said.

She heard that three of the dead men may have been brothers.

"I cannot confirm it, but people are saying three of the victims were brothers. We don't know why they were killed, but it might be linked to protection fees. Today is a known collection day for extortionists," she said.

Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel André Traut confirmed the mass killing.

"At around 3.30am, our members were alerted to the shooting. They found the bodies of seven men with gunshot wounds," he said.

He added that the victims were socialising in the kitchen when unknown attackers opened fire.

The victims' names have not yet been released. The police have not confirmed a motive.

Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, said stopping violent crime is a top priority, and no resource will be spared to catch those responsible.