Former homeless man begins rebuilding life after illness leads him to help
When his health began failing on the streets, a Fourways good Samaritan helped change the course of Thando Ntsele’s life, after he spent nearly a decade on the streets with an illness that needed treatment.
Thando Ntsele (32) grew up in Soweto, remembering a happy childhood with his parents despite their limited means.
“I was happy with my mother and father. We didn’t have much, but we had each other.”
Tragedy struck early. His mother died in 2004, and his father passed away six years later. Taken in by an elderly landlady, he had a roof over his head until her death in 2017. When her children sold the house in 2018, Ntsele, without work or income, was forced onto the streets.
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He tried surviving on occasional modelling work, but when Covid-19 hit, all opportunities vanished. Homeless and alone, he moved through Johannesburg CBD and Randburg, eventually settling in Fourways in 2023.
Daily life meant waking before dawn, begging for food, and finding places to sleep safely. “It was difficult, but I had no choice. I tried substances to cope, but it didn’t work. Somehow, I managed to eat every day. Some people even gave me clothes.”
By September 2025, his health was failing. Swollen glands and weakness made survival harder. That’s when a good Samaritan, Gugu Michelim, took him to Witkoppen Clinic, a non-profit medical organisation in Fourways.
Ntsele said he had tried other clinics and shelters, but often left without help. At Witkoppen, staff conducted assessments, provided food, and connected him to a shelter.
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“Many arrive without identification or family,” said social worker from the clinic Caroline Nkwana, “and some struggle in shelters because they are used to controlling their own lives on the streets.”
Ntsele was diagnosed with HIV, started treatment, and began recovering.
“My sickness ended up saving me. I am feeling better and starting to recognise myself again. I did not know about my HIV status, and can confirm that it is something I was not born with.” Now, living in a shelter and receiving care, Ntsele is planning for the future.
“I’ve been through a lot, but I’m still here. I finally have hope. I’m working on getting an ID and then applying for jobs. I’m open to anything that the world has to offer, so that I can be able to take care of myself.”
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