South Africa has been called the “Gateway to Africa”.
As the most developed nation on the continent, there is significant potential here for impacting Africa as a whole. Our central location within the country, a three-hour drive from three of the nation’s four major cities, allows us to impact people in a large radius.

Our ministry is focused on the Basotho (pronounced “ba-soo-too”) peoples living in Intabazwe and Qwa Qwa, rural township areas near the town of Harrismith. Harrismith is home to about 7,000 people. Afrikaans is the main language spoken, although English is widely understood. While the town is predominantly white, it also has a population of Indians (Muslim) and Africans.

About 65,000 people live in Intabazwe. While mostly Basotho live in Intabazwe (also known as 42nd Hill), in recent years there have been an influx of Zulus (“zoo-looz”). The mixing of the two cultures gives Intabazwe a very unique feel. Qwa Qwa (also called Phutaditjhaba — yeah, good luck with that one!) has over 1 million residents. It’s officially been declared the poorest area of the country. 88% are unemployed, and 75% experience chronic hunger.

Poor conditions, high poverty rate, soaring unemployment, and the growing AIDS crisis have created a sense of hopelessness which prevails throughout South Africa. We aim to counter this hopelessness by sharing the hope we have in Christ.

Country overview

South Africa is a unique and diverse country with a rocky history and a promising future.

• Population: 45 million
• Time Zone: 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time during Daylight Savings; 7 hours ahead during the rest of the year
• Climate: Since we’re in the Southern Hemisphere, our seasons are opposite of those in America. The country has varied climates in the different regions. In the Harrismith/Qwa Qwa area, summer is hot with periods of rain (October to March). Winter is very cold and dry (April to September). Temperatures often go below freezing, and we even get snow!
• Language: There are 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sesotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu. Sesotho is the primary language spoken in our area of ministry.