National Shelter Movement of South Africa Presents Challenges and Recommendations to Parliament

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The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) presented an overview of its programs, services, and challenges to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on May 13, 2025. The NSMSA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 2008, serving as an umbrella body for 100 shelters across South Africa’s nine provinces. Its vision is a society where women and children are free from gender-based violence (GBV) , and its mission is to be the united voice for sheltering women and child survivors of GBV in South Africa. The Nisaa Institute for Women’s Development acts as the secretariat for the NSMSA.

Shelters play a crucial role in responding to and addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), offering safe accommodation and opportunities for healing and rebuilding self-worth for women. They are vital in interrupting the cycle of violence and preventing femicide. Services provided by shelters include crisis intervention, safe accommodation with three nutritious meals daily, emotional support, access to healthcare, legal and psychosocial support, assistance with ID applications, economic skills development, alternative housing options, childcare, schooling, and preparation for employment. However, rendering these services requires significant expertise, care, and resources, and shelters are often undervalued, with staff facing challenges like burnout.

The NSMSA engages in various activities, programs, and services, including:

• Advocacy and lobbying for the rights of abused women and children in shelters.
• Establishing provincial shelter network forums.
• Ensuring gender sensitivity and survivor-centric service delivery.
• Capacity building for NSMSA shelters and service providers on GBV.
• Engaging in legislation related to GBV and sheltering.
• Conducting research on GBV and sheltering.
• Providing a 24-hour toll-free shelter helpline (0800 001 005).
• Hosting monthly webinars and an Annual National Indaba.
• Piloting a boy child project for healing and prevention of intergenerational GBVF.
• Developing a Safety Plan for women leaving abusive relationships, available on their website.
• Serving on the Presidential Interim Gender Based Violence & Femicide Steering Committee.
• Making submissions to amendments to recent GBV acts.

Challenges faced by shelters are both non-financial and financial. Non-financial challenges include a lack of standardization of services, unequal service delivery between government and NGO shelters, poor inter-departmental collaboration (Health, Human Settlements, SAPS, Home Affairs, Correctional Services, Justice) in supporting GBV victims and sheltering, and a lack of prioritization of housing for GBV survivors. Other non-financial issues include a lack of mental health and substance abuse services for survivors, and difficulties in communication and relationship building with provincial government departments and municipalities. These challenges lead to decreased service quality, inability to provide comprehensive services, turning victims away, and staff burnout.

Financial challenges are significant and include:

• Funding for survival and sustainability.
• The Department of Social Development (DSD) providing only 41% of funding, leaving shelters to fundraise the rest.
• Delayed disbursement of funds and incorrect amounts being received by some shelters.
• Low salaries for shelter staff, often below minimum wage, and no benefits.
• Lack of rebates or waivers for utility bills from the City of Johannesburg, unlike some other provinces.
• Problematic clauses in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for some shelters.
• The Gauteng Department of Social Development’s (GDSD) “Institutional Realignment Project” which aims to increase internal capacity and decrease reliance on NPOs, leading to a reduction in funded NPOs.
• Municipal compliance requirements (re-zoning, health, fire safety) that are costly, time-intensive, and lack funding or assistance.
• Delayed adjudication of proposals in 2024, denying services to survivors.
• A lack of trust and power imbalance between DSD and NPOs.

The NSMSA recommends increased funding, timely SLA signing and fund disbursement, improved communication with NPOs, standardization of services, support with compliance requirements, increased minimum wages for shelter staff, and restoration of trust and accountability between DSD and NPOs. Sources