First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper. While there are no formal statistics on the number of homeless people in South Africa, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the country are saying numbers are growing during the extended lockdown, aimed at curbing the Covid-19 pandemic. Rising unemployment and the economic fallout from Covid-19 have left many more sleeping rough on the streets After losing his job in the tourism industry and struggling to pay his rent, 27-year-old Owen Matsela found himself living in a homeless shelter. “The industry is just a mess and you’ve got to pay rent. The landlord won’t take your stories and you’ve got to get food as well,” he said.