The 44-year-old man died at the scene near East Fort, a coastal fortification on the popular scenic Chapman's Peak Drive, at around 11:00.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut said three suspects fled with the man's backpack which contained his personal effects.

Neighbourhood watch members caught one man, 25, allegedly in possession of the stolen items.

Andrè van Schalkwyk, chairperson of the Table Mountain Safety Action Group, told News24 the attack took place a mere 10m up the trail, not far from the car park.

The vicinity is quite overgrown, he said, but is not currently flagged as a hotspot.

The incident is not the first robbery at East Fort but there hasn't been one for a "long time".

Van Schalkwyk, however, warned hikers to be careful and to not venture out on their own but rather with a bigger group.

News24