JOHANNESBURG -  "It is alleged that a member of the public alerted Asanda's aunt on the whereabouts of the suspect," spokeswoman Lt-Col Katlego Mogale said in a statement.

"Police then followed up [on] the information... When the suspect noticed the police she tried to board a taxi to flee but was arrested."

The toddler was found at 5.25pm on Tuesday afternoon in the woman's family's home in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

"Her uncle received a call telling him to relay to Asanda's father that she is downstairs; they should come down and fetch her," Mogale said.

"The uncle hurried to his brother's room and told him. They asked a friend to go and check downstairs and indeed found the child unharmed."

Mogale said she had been missing for the past two weeks, since a family friend took the child to shops near the house.

"Asanda was fine and had no visible injuries, and was taken to the doctor who said she was healthy," Mogale said.

A woman sent text messages to the toddler's family demanding R15,000 cash in exchange for the child's safe return. Mogale could not confirm if the woman arrested had actually sent the text messages.

"This cannot be revealed as it forms part of the investigation."

The 23-year-old woman was expected to appear in the Hillbrow Magistrate's Court on Thursday on charges of kidnapping.