South Africans struggle to find outlets to deal with the stress and depression that can overcome them daily due to the lack of emotional and financial support and guidance given in today’s modern era:

• 1 in 10 people with a mental illness have access to treatment.
• Less than 4% of the national health budget is spent on mental healthcare. This puts South Africa at the bottom of international benchmarks of country public spending on mental health.
• The mental health impact of COVID has increased the demand for services and care from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, and they desperately need more investment into mental health care in South Africa now more than ever.
• In an article written by Associate Professor, William Gumede (School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand), published in October 2021, he opines, “The shame which many South Africans, particularly black communities, place on people who live with mental illnesses are preventing sufferers from seeking help.” The article goes onto say “before the Covid-19 pandemic, only 15% of South Africans with mental health receive treatment. This is due largely to the fact that many do not seek help because of the public stigma attached to mental illnesses and because in many cases mental health support is just not available in public medical facilities.”