IN CONVERSATION WITH NYELETI MAGADZE
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Johannesburg’s inner city has long grappled with a growing homelessness
challenge, shaped by unemployment, rapid urbanisation, high living costs and
intersecting social issues such as substance dependency and mental health needs.
Recent local data — including the first standalone Point-in-Time Count
coordinated by Jozi My Jozi with partners such as U-Turn Homeless Ministries,
MES, Standard Bank and the City of Johannesburg — identified over 2 100
people living rough across areas like the CBD, Hillbrow and Newtown alone,
underscoring the scale and complexity of the crisis.
Jozi My Jozi is a collaborative movement bringing together citizens, businesses,
community groups and public sector partners with a shared goal: to restore
dignity, safety and opportunity in Johannesburg’s core neighbourhoods.
Homelessness forms a central pillar of this effort, with the social workstream
10:10
focused on humane, coordinated interventions that go beyond short-term relief to
address root causes and create pathways out of street living.
Under the leadership of Nyeleti Magadze, the social workstream aims to deepen
this impact in 2026 by expanding shelter support, strengthening data-driven
planning, and improving service coordination. Key strategies include renovating
and reopening shelter facilities, experimenting with innovative shelter models,
improving referral systems to social services, and creating a dynamic dashboard
to track progress and inform policy responses. Collaborations are vital — from
municipal actors to NGOs and volunteers — ensuring that interventions are
compassionate, evidence-based, and aligned with Johannesburg’s broader
revitalisation goals.
challenge, shaped by unemployment, rapid urbanisation, high living costs and
intersecting social issues such as substance dependency and mental health needs.
Recent local data — including the first standalone Point-in-Time Count
coordinated by Jozi My Jozi with partners such as U-Turn Homeless Ministries,
MES, Standard Bank and the City of Johannesburg — identified over 2 100
people living rough across areas like the CBD, Hillbrow and Newtown alone,
underscoring the scale and complexity of the crisis.
Jozi My Jozi is a collaborative movement bringing together citizens, businesses,
community groups and public sector partners with a shared goal: to restore
dignity, safety and opportunity in Johannesburg’s core neighbourhoods.
Homelessness forms a central pillar of this effort, with the social workstream
10:10
focused on humane, coordinated interventions that go beyond short-term relief to
address root causes and create pathways out of street living.
Under the leadership of Nyeleti Magadze, the social workstream aims to deepen
this impact in 2026 by expanding shelter support, strengthening data-driven
planning, and improving service coordination. Key strategies include renovating
and reopening shelter facilities, experimenting with innovative shelter models,
improving referral systems to social services, and creating a dynamic dashboard
to track progress and inform policy responses. Collaborations are vital — from
municipal actors to NGOs and volunteers — ensuring that interventions are
compassionate, evidence-based, and aligned with Johannesburg’s broader
revitalisation goals.
