Around a dozen armed vehicles rolled into suburbs just west of Johannesburg, South Africa's economic powerhouse, to kick off a deployment announced by Ramaphosa a month ago.

Armed and uniformed soldiers backed by police conducted house-to-house searches, lifting mattresses and opening cupboards as they asked about drugs and weapons, an AFP photographer said.

The areas -- including Riverlea and Westbury -- are plagued by regular shootings and murders linked to turf wars between gangs.

While some residents appeared to welcome the presence of the soldiers, a man who gave his name only as Ali was doubtful.

"Nothing is going to change," he told AFP. "They are going to be here for a few days and then everything will go back to normal."

"Is this the real deal?" an elderly man shouted at a passing army convoy in Riverlea. A woman was murdered in a nearby apartment block this week, he said.

South Africa's high crime rate includes on average 60 murders a day, many linked to turf battles between gangs involved in drugs and illegal mining.

"Organised crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development," Ramaphosa said in a state of the nation address last month.

The military deployment will last a year and cover five of the nine provinces, including the Western Cape, home to tourist hub Cape Town, according to a plan presented to parliament.

The measure has drawn criticism from experts and opposition politicians who say troops lack policing skills.