Sandra Carpenter, 53, was the sole proprietor of the accounting firm Sandra Carpenter and Co, in the Strand, Beeld reported.

Her sister Nila Nel told the newspaper she initially did not realise she had been bitten by a spider.

"She was a diabetic, and after the bite, her sugar levels shot through the roof. We started looking for the cause of the infection, and eventually found the spider bite in her groin area," she said.

Doctors began treating Carpenter, but the area surrounding the bite soon developed into a festering hole the size of a large coin.

Tests then revealed that the source of the infection was a spider bite.

Beeld reported that it was thought the spider's toxin attacked Carpenter's internal organs, in particular her lungs.

Her condition deteriorated and she was moved to a hospital intensive care unit, but doctors were unable to save her.