Learn about homelessness in South Africa — its stats, causes and effects as well as the efforts the SA government has made to curb the epidemic.
Although it’s one of the biggest economies in Africa, South Africa has a crisis of homelessness. The rate of homelessness in South Africa is appalling, but not surprising given it’s an advanced economy with a history of Apartheid or discrimination. Presently, the Republic of South Africa has the highest level of income inequality in the world.
Homelessness In South Africa
While SA doesn’t have the worst situation of homelessness in the world, homelessness in South Africa is abysmal and deplorable. With scarce employment opportunities, 37.12% of South Africans, as of 2022, are living under the poverty threshold of $3.20. And with unemployment rate standing at 32.6% generally, and at around 61% among youths between the ages of 15 and 24, it’s little wonder homelessness in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) keeps getting worse.
How many homeless people are in South Africa? A Census conducted in 2022 showed that there are around 56 thousand homeless people in South Africa. A little over 39 thousand of SA’s people living without homes were men, while well over 16 thousand were women. Further, a little over 44.5 thousand were reported to be vagrants or living on the streets, while over 11 thousand lived in shelters.
Gauteng recorded the highest percentage of homeless people at 45.6% (25,384 people), followed by the Western Cape at 17.5% (9,743 people), and KwaZulu-Natal at 13.9% (7,768 people). An estimated 34,000 people are homeless in Cape Town and Johannesburg (Africa News, 2021 / Daily Maverick, 2021). The Northern Cape and Mpumalanga recorded the lowest proportions, with 1.1% (588 people) and 2.3% (1,306 people) respectively.
The foregoing number is in sharp contrast with previous estimates that South Africa’s homeless cases are between 100,000 and 200,000. Nonetheless, around 13% of South Africans live in shacks or informal settlements (Squatter camps, Shanty towns…), according to 2019 Government data. And by the definition of homelessness and the fact that housing is a human right, these people are homeless, indicating that RSA’s homeless cases are over 8 million (8,000,000).
While some people stay homeless shortly, others stay in it much longer or permanently.
Further on the demographics of hobos in South Africa, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) says people who are homeless are not a distinct population. They’re mostly not well educated. A sample of Cape Town’s Observatory’s rough sleepers will give a good insight into the educated-ness of South Africa’s homeless population. Only 18.8% of Observatory’s homeless people passed Grade 12 and none had any post-matric qualifications.
In total, 33% had a primary school qualification, while 4% had no schooling at all. Forty-four per cent (44%) have some high school qualifications. No wonder South Africa ranks 114 out of 189 in Human Development Index rankings (UNDP, 2020).
Causes of Homelessness in South Africa
Poverty and drug abuse are the main causes of homelessness in South Africa. Unemployment, poverty and inequality are profound in SA, meaning the country has the largest gap between rich and poor in the world. According to TIME magazine in 2021, 85% of the country’s wealth is owned by the wealthiest 10% of the population. This situation dates back to the period of apartheid regime in the country, “the world’s most egregious racial divide.” Apartheid resulted in the forceful removal of aboriginal South Africans from their original homes, the denial of them citizen documentation and racial discrimination on them.
Report shows that joblessness or income challenges, including low wages … have resulted in 41.3% of South Africa’s homeless cases. And sadly, unemployment rate in South Africa is currently rising. Little wonder the situation of homelessness in SA keeps getting worse, in spite of the efforts of government and non-government organizations (NGOs). Moreover, drug and alcohol abuse was the second-most common cause, at 25%. Conflicts with family and friends caused 17% of the cases, while the loss of parents accounted for 8.8% of them. And finally, the inability to afford accommodation accounted for 7.9% of them. It is worthy to note that drug abuse can be a cause and consequence of homelessness.
A survey conducted by the Unit for Street Homelessness at the University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Tshwane Homelessness Forum and the City of Tshwane in October 2022 found that unemployment was the primary reason for the high number of homeless people in the City of Tshwane, Pretoria — the city with the highest cases of homelessness in South Africa.
In their study of over 1,200 homeless individuals in South Africa, Cross and Seager determined that top reasons for heading to the streets included experiences with abuse and domestic violence, family problems, eviction, economic difficulties at home, and a search for independence or a better life.
A potent fuel to the increasing cases of homelessness in the RSA is migration, internal and external. Given the cities of the Southern African country has lots of employment opportunities compared to its rural areas as well as its neighbours, it experiences a great deal of internal and external migration, a lot of which are poorly planned resulting in homelessness.
Challenges of Homelessness in South Africa
Dawn Foster, a British columnist, once wrote that “the homeless often feel invisible, allowed to plummet through widening holes in the social safety net, then hidden in doorways from which people avert their eyes”.
Homelessness results in alienation and insecurity. City Improvement Districts (CIDs) remove the homeless and panhandlers from the streets. But this is the least of their problems as they experience nefarious and unfortunate acts such as violent attacks, sexual abuse, police mistreatment and the inability to access proper healthcare, food, sanitation, and safety.
As the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) states, “a deeper understanding of homelessness extends beyond lacking a roof over your head; it includes a lack of access to socioeconomic opportunities, essential for human survival, such as access to job opportunities, health services and education, among others.
Sharon, interviewed by Tembe (2015), touched on her situation saying, “I don’t have [a] house, I don’t have [a] fridge, and I don’t have money so I depend on people to give me food.”
Read: Should We Be Kind or Unkind to Homeless People
Another street person, John, explained that he manages the uncertainty of his homeless situation by sleeping outside a university building because “there are guards; we are safe with them”.
Extreme weather conditions such as cold, snows and heavy rains make life miserable for people without accommodation in South Africa — particularly at night.
The true adversity of homelessness can’t be nearly understood until you read our coverage of the challenges of homeless people.
HELP for Homeless People in South Africa
Homeless people need to be helped for their own sake, and for the sake of a wholesome society. Donations can be made to NGOs who in turn support the unhoused. Or, you can determine what packages to give to homeless people and give them in person. The following is information on NGOs in South Africa.
Johannesburg Homelessness Network, being a charity organization, offers a space for homeless people in Joburg to stay. It also provides mental health support and medical care. The Haven Night Shelter also provides shelter to unhoused people. And, MES (Mould, Power, Serve) holistically serves people at risk in order for them to live independent, sustainable & meaningful lives. Similarly, the Carpenter’s Shop (TCS) provides vocational and social skills training to homeless people in order to get them “reintegrated” into society.
Moreover, the Street People’s Forum (SPF) connects many Cape Town’s organizations which provide services to street people.
Government Effort to Combat The Homeless Crisis in RSA
The government of the Republic of South Africa (RSA), in combating homelessness, has explored the areas of legislations, policies, social support services, grants, subsidies and the provisions of affordable housing.
Between 1994 – 2019, it delivered over 3.3 million housing units and 4.8 Million housing opportunities. Notwithstanding, affordable housing shortage still hovers around 3.7 million houses.
Through the Department of Social Development (DSD), the government funds Non-Governmental Organizations that work towards changing the lives of homeless people. DSD provides homeless people with shelters, especially during Winter. It also empowers them. As for the Department of Human Settlements, another government institution, they provide social housing for low-income families, and refurbish informal settlements. They also provide temporary shelters for indigent families.
The City of Cape Town plans to commit R230 million for the next three years, towards the Safe Spaces program meant to help homeless residents, according to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. As for the City of Johannesburg, it aims to comprehensively address homelessness through regular research, monitoring, awareness campaigns, hotspot identification, collaboration with authorities, skills development, access to rehabilitation, funding models for shelters, family reintegration, diverse accommodation and assessment centres, among others.
Nonetheless, the country’s 2022 Census showed that efforts aimed at combating homelessness has been ineffective. In fact, the U.N. Sustainable Development Report shows that the country is regressing in its quest to reduce poverty. And poverty, as has been mentioned before, is the primary cause of homelessness in South Africa.
Conclusion on Homelessness in SA
Homelessness in South Africa is a crisis and, yet, it’s worsening, irrespective of government’s efforts. To curb houselessness in SA, the government should bring the following to bear: permanent housing initiatives, social support services, including healthcare and employable skill training programmes, the creation and implementation of favourable policies, including shelter rights and protection against discrimination, and finally economic development.
Further, there should also be sustainable salaries, affordable housing, controlled migration and meaningful employment opportunities for rural dwellers. Lastly, the government should regularly monitor and evaluate its interventions in order to assess their impact as well as determine new instrumental strategies.
