Mandla Hlatshwayo, the former actor on the TV series Generations was killed after confronting a group of men who had robbed women their phones in a pub in Soweto.
Both the actor and his friend lost their lives in the Sunday night shooting.
Fans, close friends and relatives have taken to social media to pay their tribute, most describing the 40 year old as a selfless man.
More than 50,000 murder cases are reported South Africa every year.