When the phone rings at SADAG’s Crisis Helpline, counsellors never know who’s on the other end, only that it might be someone’s last attempt to hold on.
Sometimes there’s a voice. Sometimes there’s just silence, a pause, a shaky breath, a quiet cry.
And then, softly:
“I don’t know who else to talk to.”
For 31 years, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has been answering that silence. It’s South Africa’s leading mental health organisation, and the only one running 24-hour suicide helplines, every single day of the year.
Now, during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, SADAG is asking South Africans to help them keep those lines open with their campaign, “Answer The Call for Help.”
Every Call Is a Story
Each day, SADAG counsellors answer over 2,500 calls, and one in four is suicide-related. Behind every number is a person in pain, searching for a reason to stay.
“When someone finally speaks, you can feel the weight in their voice,” says a SADAG Call Centre Manager, Tracy Feinstein. “There’s fear, shame, exhaustion… but also a flicker of relief. That’s when we tell them, ‘You’ve done the right thing by calling. You’re not alone.’”
Those words, simple, human, steady, can be the difference between despair and hope. Sometimes, they are the first words a caller has heard all week that sound like care.
“A Missed Call Can Mean a Missed Life”
What happens if no one answers?
“For many, that call is the moment they finally reach out. If no one picks up, that courage can turn into hopelessness. A missed call can mean a missed life.”
That’s why SADAG is urgently raising R180,000 to cover its helpline operating costs for November — the month the world pauses to talk about suicide in men, but the calls never stop coming in.
“On average, it costs R50 to answer one call,” SADAG Development Manager, Fatima Seedat explains. “But that one call might save a father, a sister, a friend. Behind every answered call is training, empathy, and hours of emotional care.”
Why Men Stay Quiet
About half the calls SADAG receives are from men, and many of them say the same thing: “I don’t want my family to think I’m weak.”
Fatima shares that, “Men in South Africa are raised to fix everything but themselves. They’re told not to cry, not to talk, not to break. So when they do finally reach out, they’re terrified.”
That’s why SADAG focuses on making that first call safe. “We remind them that reaching out isn’t weakness, it’s courage,” she says. “The moment they speak, the silence breaks, and healing begins.”
“You Just Saved My Life”
For SADAG’s counsellors, there are moments that never leave them. “After an hour of listening, someone will sometimes whisper, ‘You just saved my life.’”
“It’s the most humbling thing. Because that’s what this work is, listening. Not fixing, not preaching. Just being there when it matters most.”, says Fatima.
A Country Finding Its Voice
In the early 2000s, mental health was barely discussed in South Africa. Now, thanks to decades of advocacy, the conversation is growing louder.
“Before COVID, we received around 800 calls a day,” Fatima says. “Now it’s more than 2,500. People are talking, which means the stigma is breaking.”
But access to care is still scarce. “We’ve made progress, but we need more hands, more hearts, more funding. That’s why this campaign matters so much.”
“If Every South African Gave R50…”
Every call costs roughly R50 to answer — the price of a cup of coffee. “If every South African gave just R50, we could answer thousands more calls,” Fatima says. “Imagine that — thousands of people finding someone who says, ‘How can I support you?.’”
To make that vision a reality, SADAG has launched a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign to raise R180,000, the amount needed to keep its Suicide Crisis Helplines open throughout the month.
So far, 23 compassionate supporters have already contributed over R12 000, helping SADAG get closer to its goal. Each donation — no matter the size — keeps a counsellor on the line and ensures that when a call for help comes in, it never goes unanswered.
Because that’s what SADAG has been doing for 31 years: reminding South Africans that no one should ever face silence alone.
Join the movement by donating to SADAG on BackaBuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/answer-the-call-for-hope