Hillbrow Child Protection

Ikhaya Lethemba ("Home of Hope" in isiZulu) (176 Smit Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg / 011 403 3413 / Childline Gauteng on site) is the Gauteng government's flagship one-stop centre for female survivors of crime, domestic violence, and sexual violence, established by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety in 2004. Located in a dedicated building in Braamfontein, the facility houses: a residential shelter with capacity for 120 women and their children for stays of up to nine months; a SAPS Child Protection, Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Unit embedded in the building; the LifeLine Gauteng social work team providing individual and group counselling to shelter residents; an on-site crèche (accommodating 8 babies, 22 toddlers, and 17 pre-schoolers); a library, gym, and after-school homework programme run by LifeLine volunteers; school holiday programmes; and skills development opportunities including ancillary nursing, palliative care, child and youth care, and home-based care to equip residents for economic independence on exit. Legal support for residents' court cases and medico-legal support are also provided. Admission is through social worker assessment and referral — walk-in crisis intake should be supported by a social work referral from another organisation, SAPS, or a hospital. Childline Gauteng (011 403 3413 / 0800 055 555 toll-free) and Childline South Africa's Braamfontein office also operate from this building. ⚠️ A governance controversy involving allegations of mistreatment by residents emerged in 2018 — survivors seeking shelter should contact the National Shelter Helpline: 0800 001 005 (toll-free, 24/7) or GBV Command Centre: 0800 428 428 to discuss the most appropriate placement.