Police have ruled out xenophobia as a motive in the murder of a Tayside woman in South Africa.
The reason behind the killing of Sandra Malcolm, 74, originally from Monifieth, remains a mystery as detectives continue to hunt for suspects.
A post-mortem will be held to establish the cause of death.
One South African media outlet indicated nothing had been taken from the home, but police said the killing on Saturday may have been a robbery gone wrong.
A police spokesman told The Courier: “A murder case was opened for investigation. The motive for the killing is unknown at this stage.
“A post-mortem will be held to establish the exact cause of death. No one has been arrested as yet.”
Mrs Malcolm was found hacked to death in her Cape Town home on Saturday night.
It is reported that she had been planning to return to Dundee to visit next month.
Her grandson is believed to have climbed through a bathroom window to investigate after Mrs Malcom failed to answer her door.
Forensic experts and detectives on Sunday combed the scene for hours, with neighbours and relatives looking on.
A neighbour said: “This is a quiet community. This is shocking I still cannot believe it.”