They say you can’t truly understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Thirty of Cape Town’s most influential business and community leaders are going one step further by sleeping a night in their spot. They’re encouraging fellow South Africans to do the same!
Cape Town, South Africa (14 April 2026) – More than 30 of the Mother City’s business and community leaders will be laying their heads on the street for one night, choosing to experience what thousands of Capetonians face every day, sometimes for years on end.
‘A Night on the Streets’ will be happening again this year. Organised by U-turn Homeless Ministries, the event intentionally takes a step beyond asking supporters to write a cheque for charity. It shows philanthropists what their support is worth by giving them a small glimpse of what life on the streets can feel like.
Each CEO who takes part commits to spending the night with their pillows on the pavement, pledging R10,000 to proven U-Turn’s programmes that help people move out of homelessness.
More than 14,000 people sleep on the streets in Cape Town every night with nowhere else to go. As per U-Turn, about R744 million is spent every year in attempts to combat the crisis of homelessness, but most of that goes towards dealing with the situation and not actually creating long-term change for those experiencing it. On average, people spend 8 years and 7 months living on the streets, which is a long time to be stuck without a way out.
“We’re spending millions of rand each year managing a problem we could be solving,” says Jean-Ray Knighton Fitt, CEO of U-turn Homeless Ministries. “Sustainable solutions ultimately cost less than perpetual crisis management.”
And so on the evening of 18 April, participants will once again leave their usual comforts behind and spend 12 hours on the streets of Cape Town, facing the same conditions that those thousands of people live with every night.
All funds raised go towards U-turn’s Claremont Homeless Service Centre that provides basic needs and connects them to U-turn’s phased programme towards recovery, work-readiness and independence.
“The evidence is clear,” says Lise van den Dool, Chief Programme Officer at U-turn. “When you provide stability, rehab, therapeutic support, plus job training, 80% of participants remain stably housed and employed. We know what works, we just need the investment to scale it.”
How you can join (from your own garden!)
You don’t need to be a CEO to take part. U-turn Homeless Ministries is opening it up to anyone and everyone who wants to get involved. Do it alone, with family, friends, or even colleagues!
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All you need to do is grab a ticket – you can buy a virtual ticket for R100. Then, this coming Saturday, spend the night outside. Sleep in your garden, on a balcony, or wherever you can make it work safely. Take a few photos, post them online, and help more people understand what thousands of South Africans face every night.
It’s an engaging way to show up and be part of something that’s actively trying to move people off the streets and back into stable lives. One night doesn’t compare to years spent on the street, but it does create awareness and bring in meaningful support.
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