A hoax email sent between brothers working at separate South African IT firms has landed the two in jail. The men had circulated a mock CNN report linking the country to last week's terrorist attacks on the US.

IT workers Chris Conradie, 35, of Brackenfell, and his brother, Jaco, 26, of Bellville, were charged with sabotage at a local court on Monday and are being held pending a bail hearing on Wednesday.

Authorities said the hoax, which may have been a private joke that got out of hand, could have had serious international repercussions for South Africa, according to a report in regional newspaper the Stellenbosch Gazette.

The email had spread around the area near Cape Town before gathering momentum and eventually arriving at US offices, reports said.