A Port Elizabeth woman was repeatedly raped after she was abducted and held hostage by two knife-wielding attackers trying to steal her vehicle.

The 27-year-old woman, whose identity is being withheld due to the nature of the crime, was attacked inside her home in NU4 Motherwell – about 800m from the Motherwell Shopping Complex - at about 11pm on Tuesday.

This is the second reported rape and abduction in the Bay over a 24-hour period.

Police on the scene were alerted at about 5am, after the woman ran to a nearby friend’s house for help.

Officials on the scene were still attempting to piece the events together. 

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said: “The woman arrived at her house and parked her car outside on the verge. She had just returned from visiting friends and usually parks there as it is only a few metres from her front door.

“Within a few minutes of going into the house, she heard a noise outside and went to investigate. As she opened the door, two men were seen at her car trying to force the door open.”

In a panic, the woman screamed and rushed back into the house.

“She managed to lock the door but the two suspects kicked it open. Once they were inside they held her at knife-point and threatened to kill her.

"They tied her hands together and placed a pillowcase over her head before taking the car keys.

“The two suspects then ushered her to the car and put her in the back seat before driving off with her.”

Details as to where the men drove with her remain unknown.

“They drove around with her in the back seat for a short time before pulling her out of the car in an area surrounded by bushes. It was an isolated area so attempts to scream for help failed,” he said.

Beetge said both men raped her repeatedly before putting her back inside the vehicle.

“They put her back in the backseat and drove around for a short while before taking her home. They then ushered her back into her home sometime before 5am and left her in the house with her hands bound while they ransacked the place.”

After the six-hour ordeal, the men fled in her Hyundai i10, Beetge said.

During the robbery, the men stole her television, cellphone and other belongings.

“Everything appears to have been placed in the vehicle. The men then sped off in her car,” he said.

“Once she heard the car pull away she managed to untie herself and run down the street crying for help. She made it to a nearby friend's house who called the police.”

Beetge said that a specialist team from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations unit has been roped in to take over the case.

“She is traumatised from this attack and details are still being attained from her so that we can try find out where she was taken,” he said.

By 10:30am, the car was spotted driving in Ngoma Street, Motherwell - about 2km away from where the attack happened.

“Police approached the car and the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled between houses. They chased after the suspect but he managed to escape.

“The vehicle has been impounded for forensics to gather evidence,” Beetge said. 

Detectives will take her to a hospital later in the day.

In another incident, at about 6pm, a 40-year-old woman was raped by a jikeleza taxi driver, who was giving her lift from Wells Estate,where she works, to her home in Zwide.

Beetge said that when the driver picked her up he said he was going to a business in Chevrolet Street, Markman Industrial, to collect other passengers.

“While en route to the do another collection, he turned off the road into the bushes in the Markman Industrial area. He then held the woman at knife point and raped her in the bushes,” he said.

“The driver left her in the bushes and sped off.”

The woman managed to make her way to the roadside, where she ran to a nearby business and staff called for help.