This is the moment a carjacker steals a woman’s car and drives away with it with her three kids still in the back seat as she desperately tries to stop him.

Footage shows how the 36-year-old woman from the township of Manenberg in the South African city of Cape Town runs after her Opel Zafira as the thief drives off with it.

The woman was selling cakes outside the Gatesville Shopping Centre in the Cape Town suburb of the same name on the eve of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20th July.

She had not noticed her car keys were missing from her stall after they were taken by the unknown suspect, who had apparently been watching her for a while.

He unlocked her car and got into the driver’s seat with her children, aged 3, 5 and 7, still in the back, and drove off, with the kids’ mother only noticing as he started reversing away.

Ironically, the incident took place after representatives from the Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch conducted a walkabout to raise awareness of crime in the vicinity.

Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch spokeswoman Fowzia Veerasamy described the mother as “a hero” for running after her car, saying she was “risking her life” to save her children.

The woman was unsuccessful in trying to stop the suspect from driving off with the youngsters. However, she was swiftly reunited with them when he left them on a road, where their mum later found them.

The abandoned vehicle was later recovered by the police in the nearby neighbourhood of Hanover Park. Its door was damaged when its owner unsuccessfully tried to stop the suspect from making away with it.

At the time of reporting, the suspect had so far managed to avoid arrest and identification.

Both mum and children were traumatised by the incident and are reportedly receiving counselling.