Stephen McGown, a South African who has been held hostage in Mali for more than five years, has been released, it emerged on Thursday.

This was announced by International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at a post-Cabinet lekgotla media briefing.

McGown was abducted in November 2011 at a hostel in Timbuktu together with Swedish national Johan Gustaffsson, who was recently released.

He was held by AQIM (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), an Islamist militant organisation.