Get Help

Here are some places you can get help.

Emotional well being

LifeLine Southern Africa
24-hour crisis intervention service. Free, confidential telephone counselling, rape counselling, trauma counselling, Aids counselling, and a range of other services.

  • National counselling line: 0861-322-322
    Counsellors help callers with challenges such as trauma, suicide, and relatioship issues.
  • Website: www.lifeline.org.za
  • National Aids helpline: 0800-012-322 and aidshelpline.org.za
    Run in conjunction with the Department of Health, this national toll-free helpline receives around 3 000 calls a day.
  • Other HIV/Aids support and helplines (compiled by South African Government Information)
  • Stop Gender Violence helpline: 0800-150-150
    National toll-free helpline for survivors, witnesses and perpetrators of gender-based violence.
  • Directory of Life Line centres and programmes

Children in crisis

Childline South Africa
Assistance from trained counsellors for abused children, young people, and their families. Not-for-profit organisation.

  • 24-hour toll-free helpline: 08000 55 555
    Information, support and assistance to children and their families. Issues dealt with include physical and sexual abuse, substance abuse, behavioural problems, legal advice and trafficking.
  • Website: www.childline.org.za

Child Welfare South Africa
The co-ordinating body for more than 260 affiliated child welfare societies, organisations and community outreach projects. It is the largest non-profit, non-governmental organisation in South Africa in the fields of child protection and child care and family development.

Jo’burg Child Welfare Society
Services Johannesburg and the broader community. Offers services to abandoned, abused and neglected children. Also facilitates adoption and foster care, as well as parenting workshops and training services.

Police Child Protection Units
The South African Police Service’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit Special police units investigate violent crimes against children and offer specialised services to child victims of crime. There are units around the country.

Women in crisis

People Opposed to Woman Abuse (Powa)
Gauteng-based organisation offering shelter, counselling and legal support to women in abusive relationships, rape survivors, survivors of incest.

Stop Gender Abuse
Crisis counselling for women who have been raped or abused, advice and support for people wanting to support women in need of help, legal and other options available for abused women and rape survivors. Run by LifeLine Southern Africa.

  • Toll-free helpline: 0800 150 150

Rape Crisis
Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust works to prevent rape, offers healing to survivors, and works towards legal reforms that will ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. Services include counselling, court preparation, support groups, important contact numbers. Non-governmental organisation.

  • Counselling lines:
    • 021 447-9762 (Observatory)
    • 021 633 9229 (Athlone)
    • 021 361 9085 (Khayalitsha)
  • Website: www.rapecrisis.org.za

Speak Out
Rape emergency information, services, advice, links. Non-governmental organisation.

Mental health, depression and anxiety

South African Depression and Anxiety Group
Sadag campaigns to eliminate discrimination and stigma in the field of mental health and to support, educate and assist the public, patients and their families with mental health problems and issues. Provides information on depression, panic disorder, social phobia, generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bi-polar mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and an array of other psychiatric conditions – including those affecting children and the elderly, and suicidal behaviour. Can help you find a psychiatrist, psychologist, or GP with special interest in mental health in your area. Helpline staffed by trained and counsellors.

  • Suicide crisis line: 0800 567 567 or SMS 31393 (8am – 8pm, seven days a week)
  • Help line: (011) 262-6396 (8am – 8pm, seven days a week)
  • E-mail: Zane Wilson (founder) for counselling queries
  • Website: www.sadac.org

Pregnancy, contraception and abortion

Marie Stopes Clinics
A government-approved health facility with clinics throughout South Africa. Offers safe abortions, family planning services including birth control, pregnancy tests, male and female sterilisation, HIV testing and ante-natal services. Fees charged according to client’s income bracket.

LGBTI+ help

CtrlAltGender
CtrlAltGender (CAG) is a trans support space run by trans people for trans people. CAG provides a weekly safe space for trans people to explore, ask and find community. For more information, don’t hesitate to message the page on Facebook. 

GALA
A library formed to address the erasure and omission of LGBTIQ stories and experiences from public institutions such as official archives in (South) Africa. Originally named the Gay and Lesbian Archives (GALA), the aim was to collect and preserve local LGBTIQ narratives, both public and private. In 2007 the name of the organisation was changed to Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action, while retaining the GALA Acronym. The people who work here are knowledgable about LGBTIQ history and current affairs.

OUT
This platform provides direct health services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, MSM, sex workers, and injecting drug users, including HIV testing, counselling, treatment and general lifestyle advice and support.

Triangle Project
Triangle Project is a non-profit human rights organisation offering professional services to ensure the full realisation of constitutional and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, their partners and families.