PAYLESS SHELTER t/a Kickstart

In Durban's South Beach — the strip of high-rises and street-level poverty that lines the southern edge of the beachfront — homelessness is concentrated, visible, and chronically underserved. Payless Shelter was founded in December 2019 with a direct response to this reality: a registered NPC providing 24/7 shelter, drug counselling, skills development, and job opportunities to people experiencing homelessness, under the motto "Homeless not Hopeless."

The organisation is led by co-founders Ahmed Randeree (CEO) and Muhammed Paruk (Co-CEO), who describe themselves as having started the shelter with "the vision and drive to improve upon our Non-Profit Organization, and focused on developing the organization with experience and integrity." The shelter is registered as company K2019602911.

Who Payless Serves

Payless is a general homeless shelter — it does not exclusively serve women or GBV survivors, but serves "all" in need. In this it functions differently from a dedicated GBV shelter, which provides a confidential, women-specific environment with GBV-specific services. Payless's relevance to a GBV directory is as a general emergency resource in Durban for survivors who have become homeless or are at risk of homelessness, particularly when dedicated GBV shelters are full.

Services

Emergency Shelter — 24/7 residential accommodation in South Beach, Durban.

Drug Counselling — One of the distinctive features of Payless's service offering is drug counselling, recognising that substance abuse is both a cause and consequence of homelessness, and that many people on the street are in active addiction that requires specific support.

Skills Development — Practical skills programmes to help residents build employability and move toward economic independence.

Job Opportunities — Active facilitation of employment for residents.

Community and Faith Culture

Payless has a strongly community-oriented and faith-informed culture reflected in its social media presence — regular engagement with the Muslim community in Durban, Eid greetings, and references to religious practice among residents. This shapes the shelter's culture and approach, though it appears to serve people of all backgrounds.

Note for GBV Referrals

Payless is not a dedicated GBV shelter. Women fleeing domestic violence or sexual assault who need a women-only, confidential safe house with GBV-specific support should first contact the National Shelter Helpline (0800 001 005, toll-free, 24hr) for referral to a dedicated GBV shelter in Durban. Payless may be an appropriate referral when dedicated GBV shelters are at capacity and a woman needs immediate shelter from the street.

Payless Shelter: 31 Dr Langalibalele Dube Street, South Beach, Durban, KZN, 4001. Phone: +27 81 338 9966. Email: paylessshelter@gmail.com. Website: paylessshelter.com. Facebook: @paylessshelter. 24/7. Founded December 2019.