A 21-year-old man appeared in the Tweefontein Magistrate's Court on Monday for attempted rape, said Mpumalanga police.

A 31-year-old woman was walking home in the early hours of Sunday morning when she was allegedly attacked by the man, said Superintendent Abie Khoabane.

"The suspect attempted to grab her from behind, she managed to escape but he chased her and held her down to the ground," he said.

The woman began screaming and was helped by a passer-by. The man was arrested later that morning.