Ms Naledi Molife says of herself: “I am a young woman who is full of dreams and hopes, driven by the desire to make my parents proud, while also fulfilling my own sense of purpose and ambition.”
That sense of purpose now sits at the centre of her master’s study in Criminology and Forensic Studies, ‘Navigating Life on the Streets: Exploring Crime, Victimisation, and Support Among Homeless and Street-Involved Youth in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal’, supervised by Dr Nomakhosi Sibisi.
Her path to the topic was not immediate. With the guidance of her supervisor, Molife began exploring possible areas of focus, reading widely and paying attention to what was unfolding around her. What became clear was difficult to ignore. Durban, she observed, is a rapidly urbanising city where inequality is increasingly visible, particularly in the growing number of young people surviving on the streets.
“What struck me the most was the disconnect between public perceptions and the underlying structural conditions that drive youth to street life,” Molife explained.
Too often, she found, these young people are viewed through a narrow lens – one shaped by stigma and criminalisation, while their lived realities remain unheard. Her study became an attempt to close that gap, using the voices of street-involved youth themselves.
Molife conducted in-depth, one-on-one interviews with 20 young people between the ages of 18 and 27, based in Albert Park and the Payless Shelter (now known as Kickstart). In her research, she set out to understand how these young people experience crime, victimisation and survival in their everyday lives.
Their stories were all eye-opening – each one different, yet connected.
Six themes emerged in her research. The first traced the pathways into homelessness: family neglect, abuse and violence, peer influence, substance use, poverty, and unemployment. The second revealed the extent of victimisation, including physical violence, sexual exploitation, harassment and deep emotional and psychological harm.
The study also showed how some young people become involved in crime – not as a simple choice, but often as a means of survival. This is closely tied to a fourth theme: the overlapping personal, social and structural pressures that shape such involvement. The fifth theme examines the impact of these experiences on mental health, physical wellbeing, relationships and the ability to navigate daily life. The final theme turns to support systems, both formal and informal and how young people make use of them.
Across all six, one reality stands out: life on the streets is marked by contradiction.
“Street-involved youth navigate a highly complex and often hostile environment, where the boundaries between victimhood and criminalisation are blurred. Some engage in unlawful activities, but these actions are frequently driven by necessity rather than intent. At the same time, they remain deeply vulnerable, exposed to violence, exploitation and discrimination,” Molife said.
In response, she said, they adapt. Many form close peer networks for protection, share resources and create informal systems of support. In spaces where formal structures fall short, these relationships become essential. Molife recalled how, during her fieldwork, this sense of solidarity became visible in unexpected ways. At first, some young people showed little interest in participating. But once they understood that the work was part of a scholarly study, they would agree to take part and even recruit one another.
To Molife, it was a small moment, but one that spoke to trust, dignity and a desire to be heard.
What stayed with her most, however, was not only the hardship, but the resilience. Despite experiences of neglect, abuse and instability, many participants spoke with an enduring sense of hope. Their stories challenged her own assumptions.
She reflected, “It highlighted the importance of recognising street-involved youth not merely as passive victims, but as individuals with agency, strength, and aspirations.”
According to her research, KwaZulu-Natal’s high levels of unemployment, persistent poverty, and inequality continue to shape the conditions in which youth homelessness emerges. These pressures are often intensified by domestic violence, substance abuse and limited access to education and social services. Molife also determined that urban migration adds another layer, as young people come to cities like Durban in search of opportunity that often remains out of reach.
Importantly, Molife noted, not all young people on the streets come from the same background – some arrive there from relatively stable economic homes, complicating common assumptions about who is affected.
A key finding, however, was that support systems do exist. Shelters, non-governmental organisations and outreach programmes provide food, temporary accommodation, healthcare, and counselling. Yet, she found that gaps remain. Many services are under-resourced, and long-term pathways such as reintegration into families, education or employment are limited. Formal systems are sometimes experienced as inaccessible or even stigmatising, which pushes young people to rely more heavily on peer networks and community-based support.
Molife recommends addressing these challenges through co-ordination between communities, organisations and government, with approaches that recognise both immediate needs and deeper structural realities.
She expressed deepest gratitude to the young people who participated in her study, appreciating their willingness to share painful, personal experiences with honesty and courage.
“Many of them had little reason to trust, but chose to speak anyway. This master’s study was not only an academic endeavour, but also a reflection of a collective effort to bring visibility to marginalised voices. Behind the statistics, the labels, and the assumptions are young people navigating difficult realities – often with far more strength, complexity and hope than they are given credit for.”