Many Johannesburg toy stores on Monday said they would not take toy guns off the shelves any time soon.

Gun Free South Africa has called on shops to remove toy weapons which it claims promotes violence.

While parents and toy store owners agreed it may be a good idea to remove toy guns from the shelves they said it would not stop children from playing games involving weapons.

Izzie Zimmerman from Toys 'R Us and Reggies said they did not sell toys that looked like real firearms and therefore would not be taking the items off their shelves.

One Johannesburg mother said violent movies and video games, not toy guns, were having a major impact on children.

"They are still going to see [violence and guns] on TV. They are still going to watch movies from America where kids are playing cowboys and indians," she said.

Gun Free South Africa said it wants all retailers to remove toy guns ahead of the festive season in an attempt to reduce the crime rate in the country.