Eight more people have been arrested as part of a Hawks investigation into the instigators of the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July last year.

More than 300 people died during the violence, which was sparked by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma who was found to have been in contempt of a Constitutional Court order to appear before the Zondo Commission into State capture.

The latest arrests bring the total number of people arrested by the Hawks to 34. The eight people would appear in the Durban Regional Court on Thursday, said Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo.

According to the Hawks, its investigation has been probing the "alleged instigators in the incitement of public violence through social media and other platforms".

The names of the eight people were not available by the time of publication, and it was unclear if there were any notable public figures among them.

Last week, more than 20 people appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit public violence, incitement to commit public violence, and incitement to commit arson.

"Joint police teams were mobilised to execute simultaneous arrests in various areas so as to secure court attendance of persons of interest spread out in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, North West, Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape," said Mbambo.

One of the people arrested last week was African National Congress Youth League leader Sanele Masuku. News24 previously revealed that he was reported to have been a business partner of Brumelda Zuma, the daughter of the former president.

News24 also reported that another of Zuma's daughters, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, was still under investigation by police for her alleged role in the unrest.