An Eastern Cape man named Sebenzile Simane was on Thursday handed a 173-year sentence for sexually abusing a woman in her farmhouse and forcing her 12-year-old child to watch, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

The effective life term followed Simane's conviction on 17 counts in the Eastern Cape High Court in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

Regional NPA spokesperson Tsepo Ndwalaza said they were satisfied with the conviction and sentence for the "gruesome deeds" inflicted on the 45-year-old businesswoman and her three children.

Judge Olav Ronaasen said the 32-year-old culprit deserved to be severely punished for his "cruel and barbaric" actions, the Daily Dispatch reported.

The charges against him included two of rape, an attempted rape, four of attempted murder, and compelling a child to witness a sexual act.

Simane, who used to work on the farm, had pleaded not guilty to firing several shots to gain entry into the farmhouse outside of Hankey in March last year, before tormenting the family for hours, the Citizen reported.

The woman was gunned at the buttocks, while trying to protect her children.

TimesLive reported that she had been raped twice, with her 12-year-old daughter forced to watch one of the assaults.

After tying them up, he had searched the house for valuables and then forced the woman to take him to an ATM so he could withdraw cash from her account.

The woman, who could not be identified in terms of a court order, testified that Simane had claimed her husband owed him money and wanted to know where he was, as he wanted to murder him first and then the rest of the family, Netwerk24 reported.

"Terrified... we were like wild animals being hunted," she reportedly told the court at the time.