Minister Dina Pule leads sixth National Shelter Indaba in Benoni, 15 to 17 Sep

The Minister of Social Development, Ms Dina Pule will lead the Department of Social Development’s sixth National Shelter Indaba in partnership with the National Shelter Movement South Africa (NSMSA) from 15 - 17 September 2026 in Benoni: Gauteng Province.

Held under the theme, “The Social Integration of GBVF Interventions,” the National Shelter Indaba seeks to strengthen responses to the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) crisis through stronger government leadership and coordination, prevention, risk reduction, public responsibility and mobilisation.

GBVF remains a critical societal challenge that affects people across all sectors of society, including vulnerable women, children, men, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is a pressing human rights issue that threatens the safety, dignity and well-being of survivors and their families.

GBVF cuts across class, age, race and gender, affecting individuals, families, communities and the country as a whole. Women, children, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community remain particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse.

The NSMSA is a registered non-profit organisation that provides support to shelters for women and their children affected by gender-based violence across all nine provinces of South Africa. These shelters provide essential services, including safety, counselling, support and empowerment to survivors of GBVF.

The vision of the NSMSA is “to provide a united voice on issues of sheltering women and children affected by gender-based violence.”

The Department of Social Development leads Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF), which focuses on Response, Care, Support and Healing. Pillar 4 is implemented in collaboration with other government departments, stakeholders, partners and civil society organisations.

The National Shelter Indaba, an annual engagement held in partnership with the NSMSA, provides a transformative platform for robust dialogue, innovative and creative thinking, knowledge-sharing and collaboration among key stakeholders.

The Indaba also provides an opportunity to identify and address challenges affecting service delivery, share best practices and develop practical strategies to strengthen support and services for women and children affected by GBVF.

Since its inception in 2021, the National Shelter Indaba has provided a professional platform for government officials, practitioners, role players and other stakeholders who are committed to ending GBVF to share their knowledge, experiences and lessons learned. It has also created space for participants to brainstorm and develop strategies to address gaps and challenges affecting services to survivors of gender-based violence and their children.

The Department of Social Development will use the Indaba to reinforce the importance of an integrated and coordinated response to GBVF, while emphasising the critical role of government, civil society, communities and individuals in preventing violence and supporting survivors.

All South Africans are encouraged to play an active role in confronting the scourge of GBVF in their homes, places of worship, communities and workplaces. This includes challenging cultures, behaviours and practices that perpetuate gender inequality, violence and abuse against vulnerable women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

Members of the public can report incidents of gender-based violence by contacting the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) on 0800 428 428. The GBV Command Centre can also be reached by sending a “PLEASE CALL ME” to *120*7867# sending an SMS with the word “HELP” to 31531, or via Skype: Helpme GBV, where professional social workers are available to provide assistance.

Media invitation
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the sixth National Shelter Indaba, scheduled as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 15 - 17 September 2026
Time: 10h00 – 17h00
Venue: ANEW Hotel, Benoni, Gauteng Province

Media can RSVP by contacting Ms Nomfundo Xulu-Lentsoane on 066 480 6845 / NomfundoLe@dsd.gov.za. 

Media Enquiries:
Ms Sandy Godlwana
Chief Director: Communication
Cell: 082 678 5634
Email: SandyG@dsd.gov.za 

#GovZAUpdates 

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