The severed head of a 29-year-old woman was found in the fridge at a flat she shared with her boyfriend in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, on Friday.

Gauteng police spokesperson Capt Jethro Mtshali said the woman's body was also found in the flat.

"Apparently she was allegedly beheaded by her boyfriend. The woman's head was later found in the fridge in the same flat," said Mtshali.

Without disclosing further details, Mtshali said someone had alerted the metro police about the gruesome scene.

Police moved quickly to trace her 31-year-old boyfriend, who was not at home at the time.

"He was arrested at a business where he was working and charged with murder," Mtshali added.

Mtshali said the identity of the victim could not be revealed until she had been positively identified by family members.

The boyfriend is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Monday to face a charge of murder.