A 14-year-old girl was raped at her grandmother's house and murdered with a brick in the latest sex crime to shock South Africa.

Janika Mallo's body was found with her head bashed in and 'her brain leaking', her family said, with her clothes pulled down and signs she had been sexually assaulted.

Police have opened a murder probe and suspicion has fallen on a group of young men 'known for their mischief' in Heinz Park, near Cape Town, where the girl was found dead.

The teenager's devastated mother told South African media that her last conversation with her daughter had been an argument.

The body of Janika Mallo (pictured) was found with her head bashed in and 'her brain leaking', her family said, with her clothes pulled down and signs she had been sexually assaulted

'I smacked her in her face and told her she cannot go to the soccer club's event in Portland, and that was the last I saw her alive,' she told IOL.

'The last thing I gave my child was a smack across her face. She was on her way home as far as I know when last I heard from her and her friends.'

Her father said her face had been 'beaten in' and said she may have been knocked unconscious before she was raped.

Her body was found on a Sunday morning, though it was unclear why she was at her grandmother's house at the time.

Reports of the murders of several young women have dominated national news headlines in South Africa in recent weeks.

One 19-year-old student was allegedly raped and killed at a post office when she went to pick up a parcel.

On top of that, boxing champion Leighandre 'Baby Lee' Jegels, 25, was allegedly shot dead earlier this month by her partner, who was a police officer.

The spate of killings has sparked anger in a country often scarred by violence against women.

Campaigners say South Africa has a 'femicide epidemic' and thousands of them gathered in Cape Town to voice their anger earlier this month, holding signs saying 'enough is enough'.

President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to the crowd and promised 'action' but was booed by furious demonstrators.

One sign held up by a demonstrator read: 'Mr President, men are raping us, killing us, what are YOU doing?'

A spate of violent crimes against women sparked a protest in Cape Town earlier this month where President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke (pictured) but was booed

The protests were an embarrassment for Ramaphosa who was forced to cancel an appearance at the World Economic Forum conference he was hosting in Cape Town this week.

Last year South Africa recorded a 6.9 per cent increase in the numbers of murders countrywide.

There were an average 57 murders a day and at least 137 sexual offences committed every day, according to official figures, in a country of 57million.

Women Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, said more than 30 women were killed by their spouses last month alone.

National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise recently slammed the 'senseless killings' of women in the country.

'It is clear that a war has been declared against women and girl children... it cannot be business as usual.

'Extraordinary interventions are called upon to bring an end to these senseless acts of lawlessness. This is a crisis,' she said.