A South African woman was executed in China on Monday morning for drug smuggling, eNews reported.

Janice Bronwyn Linden, 35, from KwaZulu-Natal, was arrested in November 2008 for smuggling three kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

An eNews' correspondent in Asia confirmed on Monday morning that Linden had been executed, after being allowed to say goodbye to her two sisters.

Linden had exhausted all possible appeal processes.

Justice spokesman Tlali Tlali told Beeld newspaper that the department had made several pleas to the Chinese government to spare her life.