Warning: This story contains distressing details from the start.

A South African serial rapist - who assaulted children as young as nine years old - has received 42 life sentences.

Nkosinathi Phakathi was convicted of 90 counts of rape - attacks that he carried out between 2012 and 2021.

The 40-year-old sometimes made children watch him raping his victims and also forced young boys to rape their female friends, South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

Phakathi's crimes took place in or around Ekurhuleni, a municipality just east of the city of Johannesburg.

On Friday, the Johannesburg High Court heard that Phakathi was receiving 42 life sentences for charges including rape, kidnapping, theft and assault.

Often, multiple life sentences arise in the most serious cases involving numerous victims.

The NPA said the judge agreed that Phakathi had shown “no remorse and was beyond rehabilitation”.

The majority of Phakathi's victims were schoolchildren, the youngest being a nine-year-old girl, the NPA's statement said. His oldest victim was aged 44.

The NPA said Phakathi targeted many of these individuals when they were travelling to or from work or school.

Phakathi also assaulted some of his victims in their own homes, pretending to be an electrician coming to fix a household appliance in order to gain entry, the statement said.

Phakathi lost his leg after being shot by police during his arrest in 2021.

He attended Friday's sentencing on crutches, wearing a blue tracksuit and face mask.

South Africa suffers from a soaring violent crime rate, with rape and murder rampant.

There were more than 9,300 rapes between April and June this year, up by 0.6% compared to the same period last year, police data shows.