Our 2025 Impact

Masiphumelele is an isiXhosa word that translates to ‘Let us succeed’. This word is fitting for this community of people who decided to move to this area to build their lives into success.

In the early 1980s, a group of 400-500 people started the first informal settlement close to where Masiphumelele is today. However, under Apartheid law, these families were moved on by force.

They were relocated to the Khayelitsha, on the outskirts of Cape Town, more than 30 kilometres away. For those who had found work in the Fish Hoek area, this meant a long journey on a bicycle or public transport every day.

Over the years. they tried, again and again, to move back to where they had first established their community. Finally, nearly ten years later, in 1991/92, as Apartheid was ending, this community was renamed Masiphumelele and was then home to approximately 8000 people, who setup informal shacks and simple brick homes. A school and clinic were only added in the late 1990’s.

Today, the community is home to more than 40,000 people who continue to face challenges from the legacy of apartheid and slow reform. This densely populated community is consistently at risk of fire and flooding and many residents are living in poverty. Formal housing is mixed with many informal structures, leaving many families with limited access to electricity, sanitation or running water. High crime rates and lack of food security add to the challenges experienced by residents in Masiphumelele. Access to an acceptable level of education and skills training is beyond the reach of most of residents and youth, as unemployment is estimated to be around 70% of the adult population.