A 17-year-old human trafficking victim was found in a Table View brothel over the weekend, said spokesman for Specialised Law Enforcement Services Neil Arendse on Monday.

The girl had been brought from her home town of Klerksdorp under false pretences of baby-sitting and found herself working in a brothel, he said.

The brothel had only been operating for a month and the girl had only been working there for a week.

"Luckily she had not had her first client yet," said Arendse. "Furthermore she was told that she would not get paid for her first client as the money would go towards paying for her flight to Cape Town."

The girl told police that her mother had made arrangements with the brothel owner to have her sent to Cape Town, he said.

A joint operation by the City of Cape Town's Vice Squad and the Table View SAPS had led to the arrest of the alleged brothel owner on charges of human trafficking on Sunday.

He posted bail on Monday morning, said Arendse.