Two elderly men from the affluent seaside resort town of Kenton-on-Sea have been arrested in two separate cases for allegedly raping or sexually molesting eight young girls.

The girls from the nearby impoverished Ekuphumleni township were reportedly made to dance naked in front of the men who then groped or raped them in their upmarket homes in return for money and food.

The victims are between eight and 12 years old. None of those involved can be named due to the nature of the crime.

Four of the girls were allegedly raped and the others sexually molested.

Port Alfred police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said two men were arrested on Thursday for alleged rape and sexual molestation.

"These are two separate cases that are not related but we're investigating. The men are in their 60s and 70s," said Govender.

The two are due to appear in the Alexander Magistrate's Court today.

It is alleged that at one of the men's homes, a large double-storey house, the girls would queue outside and be called in one-by-one to dance in front of him. The girls were allegedly made to touch the man and he allegedly raped the older girls.

They were later given money and food to take home.

It had allegedly been going on since late last year on most weekends. Police were alerted by concerned residents .

Parents of three of the eight girls said they were shocked to discover what had been going on.

"Our lives revolve around the people who stay in these big houses in Kenton-on-Sea," said one mother.

"They are our employers. Now and again we will go with our children to work but we didn't expect these two to do this."

She said the parents only found out what was going on when called by police and community leaders.

A grandmother in her 70s who lives with one of the victims said the men had destroyed the life of an innocent child.

"She's a sickly child, these men took advantage of her."