Two men have been arrested for conspiring to kidnap a nine-year-old girl in Port Elizabeth, police said on Tuesday.

Captain Sandra van Rensburg said police received a tip-off last week about a kidnapping conspiracy. The targeted victim's family was informed and kept under police watch.

On Monday afternoon, police were on watch outside the girl's school when two men attempted to kidnap her. The police reacted immediately and arrested the men, Van Rensburg said.

It was suspected that the motive for the kidnapping was a ransom.

The men are in police custody and are expected to appear in court in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

Sapa