SADAG Appeals for Urgent Funding to Save Crisis Helpline

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has made an urgent appeal for funding to keep its national crisis helpline in operation.

The toll-free service, which answers up to 2,500 calls daily, is facing closure due to rising costs. Alarming figures show that one in three of these calls is related to suicide.

To address the shortfall, SADAG has launched an online fundraising campaign on Back-a-Buddy, aiming to raise R180,000 to cover expenses for September. The appeal coincides with World Suicide Prevention Month.

Development Manager Fatima Seedat warned that if the helpline is forced to scale back, many people in crisis will be left without critical intervention. South Africa continues to see a rise in mental health conditions, with almost 16% of the population affected by depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.

Seedat explained that SADAG runs the country’s only suicide crisis helpline, which is not backed by corporate sponsorships and relies entirely on donations. Operating costs amount to about R180,000 per month.

She added that the helpline is often the last source of hope for people in distress, urging individuals, businesses, and even mobile network providers to step in and help sustain the service. “Even R50 can make a difference,” she stressed, calling on network providers to consider making crisis calls zero-rated to ease the burden.