Drug, Alcohol Abuse a major concern in South Africas Townships.

By Mamelodi News, July 30, 2025.

Across South Africa’s townships—Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Atteridgeville, and other Pretoria communities—the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse among youth is surging at an alarming rate. From the smoky haze of nyaope in Mamelodi’s streets to the littered bottles in shebeens, young people are turning to substances in numbers that shock communities and policymakers alike. A 2024 study in rural Mpumalanga found 45% of adolescents and young adults reported substance use in the past year, while Tshwane’s townships see nyaope—a heroin-based concoction—ravaging households. Some view this as a desperate escape from systemic poverty and lack of opportunities, exacerbated by the absence of community parks and vandalized public spaces. Others, however, see it as a failure of personal responsibility, fueling a divide in how South Africans address this crisis. Why are youth increasingly drawn to drugs and alcohol, and why do the numbers keep climbing?

South Africa’s youth face a perfect storm of challenges. In townships like Mamelodi, unemployment rates exceed 40%, with many young people trapped in poverty. A 2022 study in Tshwane highlighted contextual barriers—poverty, fragmented services, and stigma—as key drivers of substance abuse among youth. The lack of recreational spaces compounds this. Community parks, where they exist, are often dilapidated or vandalized, leaving youth with few safe outlets. In Mamelodi, residents lament that parks meant for recreation are either nonexistent or reduced to dumping grounds, with broken equipment and stolen infrastructure like copper wiring, a common target for thieves. “There’s nowhere for kids to go,” said a Mamelodi mother. “They end up in shebeens or smoking nyaope on street corners.”

The absence of functional parks is part of a broader neglect of public spaces in townships. In Pretoria’s Atteridgeville, youth report that vandalism—often linked to substance abuse—has left community facilities unusable. A 2019 study in Pinetown noted that local municipalities lose millions to vandalism, with youth stealing cables and metals to fund drug habits, creating a vicious cycle. This lack of infrastructure pushes young people toward environments where drugs and alcohol are readily available. In Tshwane, nyaope’s affordability and accessibility make it a go-to for youth seeking escape, with 70% of Chatsworth households affected by similar heroin-based drugs.

Social pressures also play a role. Peer influence is a significant predictor of substance use, with a 2024 review noting that African youth often face pressure to experiment in social settings like nightclubs or taverns. In Mamelodi, shebeens—often unregulated—provide easy access to alcohol, with studies showing that learners as young as 14 obtain liquor from such outlets. Family breakdowns, common in townships due to economic strain and historical legacies of apartheid, leave youth vulnerable. A 2019 Pinetown study found that many street-dwelling addicts cited family problems, like parental loss or divorce, as reasons for turning to drugs like whoonga.

The rapid rise in youth substance abuse—evidenced by a doubling of heroin users in South Africa from 1996 to 2008—elicits mixed feelings. Many in townships empathize with the youth, seeing their struggles as a product of systemic failures. “These kids have no jobs, no parks, no hope,” said a Soshanguve community leader. “They use drugs to forget the pain.” The 2021 South African Youth Risk Behaviour Survey highlighted that substance use is linked to poor academic performance and risky behaviors, like unprotected sex, which further entrench poverty and health crises like HIV. Community members argue that without safe spaces like parks or youth centers, young people are left to navigate a world of temptation alone.

Yet, others express frustration, viewing substance abuse as a choice that destroys communities. In Mamelodi, residents complain that drug-related crime, including vandalism of public spaces, makes townships unsafe. A 2018 report noted that 60% of crimes nationally are linked to substance abuse, with Pretoria’s townships seeing spikes in theft and violence. “They steal to buy drugs, then destroy what little we have,” said a Pretoria shop owner, reflecting a sentiment that blames youth for lacking discipline. This perspective often overlooks the structural barriers—unemployment, inadequate policing, and lack of mental health services—that trap young people in cycles of addiction.

In Mamelodi, the struggle is palpable. Youth as young as 13 are seen smoking nyaope, a drug that’s cheap (as low as R30 per hit) and devastating. The Community-Oriented Substance Use Programme in Tshwane reported that stigma and lack of treatment access prevent many from seeking help. Schools, meant to be safe havens, are battlegrounds, with teachers in nearby KwaDabeka reporting threats and violence from drug-addicted learners. In Atteridgeville, the absence of after-school programs leaves youth idle, with the after-school hours identified as high-risk for substance use.

The lack of community parks exacerbates these issues. In Mamelodi, where green spaces are scarce, youth turn to street corners or abandoned lots, environments ripe for drug dealers. Vandalism further erodes what little infrastructure exists—playgrounds are stripped of metal, and community centers are defaced. A 2022 study in Ga-Rankuwa, another Pretoria township, found that community-based initiatives, like love-life youth programs, struggle to compete with the allure of drugs when recreational alternatives are absent or destroyed.

The rapid increase in youth drug and alcohol abuse—projected to rise 40% in Africa by 2030 due to a growing youth population—demands urgent action. Some call for more treatment centers, noting that only a fraction of the 20% of South Africans with substance abuse issues access help. Others advocate for rebuilding community infrastructure. “We need parks, sports, something to keep kids busy,” said a Mamelodi elder, echoing a 2011 parliamentary call for more recreational spaces in low-income areas. Yet, funding shortages and corruption often stall such efforts, as seen in the underfunded Victim Empowerment Programme.

The mixed feelings—empathy for youth trapped by circumstance and frustration at the chaos they cause—reflect a deeper truth: substance abuse is both a symptom and a driver of township struggles. In Mamelodi, Pretoria, and beyond, addressing this crisis requires tackling poverty, rebuilding parks, and providing youth with hope and opportunities. Until then, the numbers will climb, and townships will remain caught in a cycle of despair and destruction.