A case of murder and attempted murder is being investigated after a shooting outside a mosque in Mayfair, Johannesburg, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday after 7pm, said Col Lungelo Dlamini.

"A man was walking from the mosque when two suspects opened fire on him. Several shots were fired," Dlamini said.

He had been in the parking lot of the mosque.

He died at the scene while a bystander was shot in the leg and remains in hospital. 

"The motive for the attack remains unknown," said Dlamini.

The two victims are both foreign nationals.

Speaking on eNCA, Capt Jeff Phora detailed how the victim was walking to his car when he was shot at point-blank range.

“He tried to run away. They continued to chase him while they were shooting at him. Unfortunately, next to the church he fell [down]. They continued to shoot him while he was down.”

The suspects fled on foot.

“We are still trying to establish if there was anything taken from the man," he said.

While police had not yet revealed the identity of the deceased, some Mayfair community members took to social media to identify him as a wealthy Ethiopian businessman.