Surviving Christmas: The Reality of Homelessness in South Africa

“For people to be seeing me like this today, I feel embarrassed. I won’t lie to you. There are times when I want to go home and talk to them, but I’m thinking I might get rejected” - Brian Singh, a homeless man in Durban, South Africa Around this time of the year, Durban in South Africa attracts hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors. This is due to its warm weather, sea, theme parks, restaurants, bars and affordable accommodation. Sadly though, not everyone is walking around the streets of the coastal city with a broad smile on their face. Today Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje visits Durban and meets people who’ve been homeless for years due to various reasons, including joblessness and family disputes. So, how are people in such situations spending Christmas?