Homelessness in South Africa

Early history through the 1800s In the 19th century, the main issues facing the colonies were squatting and vagrancy, as white settlers took much of the land for farming. In the mid-19th century, under colonial rule, efforts were made to remove non-white people from white-owned property, causing the displacement of a large wandering population looking for work. The introduction of Cape's Vagrancy and Squatting Act (1878) and other legislation enacted by the colonies were intended to change the status of vagrants or wanders living on the land from a status of vagrancy to residential labour, to prevent the crime risks associated with the wandering population. Zoning laws controlled movement and places of residence for black people, forcing them into black townships in the white-ruled cities. Visible homelessness was not allowed on the streets, so those who were homeless due to apartheid policies moved into shack settlements. Formed forced 'scheduled areas' that prevented the buying and selling of land to make any profit. It encouraged segregation, controlled movement, and spatially segregated residence within urban areas, and expanded throughout the apartheid. From this piece of legislation, more policies and legislation of racial segregation were enacted, limiting areas for blacks to live, forcing them into townships. The Native Land Act was the first piece of legislation to enforce territorial segregation and was the beginning of racial segregation in institutionalising it into South African legislation. In 1927, the first township, Langa, was founded in Cape Town. In the 1950s, the townships of Nyanga and Guglethu were developed and expanded. Severe housing shortages in 1968 led to overcrowding, and people constructed informal, illegal settlements throughout the cities. == Causes ==

Homelessness is shaped by social and economic insecurity, which is worsened by informal housing and a lack of legislation by the government. South Africa has seen an improvement in its unemployment rate, with the national average dropping from 36.2% in 2014 to 31.9% in 2025. The South African economy is growing; according to Statistics South Africa, it expanded by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Growth was driven by agriculture, finance, and trade on the supply (production) side of the economy. Household spending led growth on the demand (expenditure) side. , South Africa High rates of migration into urban areas, whereby the government is unable to cope with the influx. Post-apartheid, free movement of non-white South Africans into areas that were restricted to them, resulting in not enough employment opportunities available. == Prevalence ==

Demographics The 2022 national census found that there were 55,719 homeless people in the country and that the metropolitan municipality with the largest proportion of South Africa's homeless population was Tshwane with 18.1% of all homeless people. Other municipalities with a significant share of the country's homeless population were The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (15.6%), The City of Cape Town (11.9%), and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (10.1%). The street homeless population is predominantly black and male. In 2004, rural areas had a higher proportion of homeless individuals than cities, whereby a larger percentage of the rural population was poorer than in metropolitan areas. The 2022 census showed that there was far more homelessness in non-metro areas than in metro regions. The rate of homelessness in non-metro areas was 25.9% - multiple times higher than in many of South Africa's major metropolitan areas. == Street Children ==

Significant migration of street children across borders into South Africa comes initially from other bordering countries such as Zimbabwe. This migration occurrence is an increasing situation facing homeless children. Street Children suffer physical and psychological abuse and often develop a substance use disorder. Advocacy response 'Surfers, Not Street Children' is an advocacy group based in Durban, established to teach street children to surf to foster connectedness. It aims to help them with psychological issues caused by difficult childhoods. == NGO initiatives ==

Numerous non-profits have addressed homelessness in South Africa through various methods. In Cape Town, The Service Dining Rooms is an NGO that provides warm meals to the city's homeless population. In Cape Town CBD, the NGO operates a center that serves meals each weekday for R2. SDR, which relies entirely on public funding, owns the building in which it operates and has operated since 1935. == National government initiatives ==

There is no specific governmental policy to protect people experiencing homelessness. A 2003 report found that there was no direct national housing plan for people who lived on the streets, but that policy fell predominantly under the Housing and Social Welfare sectors. Public spending has been directed toward supporting shelters for people experiencing homelessness; however, it is only remedial and not a long-term solution. Affordable housing in South Africa is driven by initiatives at the national, provincial, and local levels of government. ==Local government initiatives==

Cape Town Through its Rough Sleeper initiative, the City of Cape Town partners with local homeless shelters to provide safe beds for individuals in need. In mid-2025, it was reported that the initiative had helped 5,000 individuals leave the streets. The program also offers aid to fight substance abuse issues, obtain ID documents and social grants, and provide meals and personal development planning. It is also centered around reuniting families. The City partners with shelters across the metro to provide these services. ==Social Welfare==

South Africa has one of the most extensive social welfare systems among the world's developing countries. In 2019, an estimated 18 million people in South Africa received some form of social grant provided by the government. ==Literature==

Child homelessness in South Africa has been portrayed in the novel Thirteen Cents by K. Sello Duiker. Homelessness in South African cities has been portrayed in art in a controversial piece titled Birds in a Cornfield. ==See also==