A man was shot dead in his vehicle while stuck in traffic in Centurion on Friday, police confirmed on Saturday.

The man, 44, a local whose identity is known to police, had been driving in Lyttelton around 18:00 when he was attacked, said Captain Dave Miller.

"The victim came out the Engen garage and pulled into Jean Avenue. While stuck in traffic, unknown suspects approached him and fired several shots into the vehicle," he said. 

The shooters fled in an unknown vehicle towards the N14.

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A vehicle belonging to a member of the public was also hit in the shootout but no one was injured.

Paramedics had been returning to their station when bystanders flagged them down along Jean Avenue and alerted them to the shooting, said ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak.

Victim associated with taxi industry

"Upon investigation they found a vehicle stationary in the road with a man inside of it. The man sustained several gunshot wounds. Sadly, there was nothing that paramedics could do for him and he was declared dead on the scene."

Miller said it did not appear at this stage that anything had been stolen from victim's vehicle.

Asked whether he believed the shooting was a hit, Miller did not want to speculate and said the motive was under investigation.

The man was associated with the taxi industry.

No arrests have yet been made.