Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
07 June 2025 | 13:00 CAT

As suicide rates climb across South Africa, SafeTalk founder Lino Miller urges communities to break the stigma and reconnect through honest conversations and mental health education. (Image: Pexels)

South Africa is battling a hidden epidemic—an alarming rise in suicide rates—despite increased dialogue around mental health. According to Luno Miller, founder of SafeTalk, an NGO focused on suicide prevention, the statistics are far more severe than officially acknowledged.

“Officially, we’re sitting at about 14,000 suicides a year,” Miller told Radio Islam. “But I would not even hesitate in saying that it’s more than double that.” Many deaths are misreported as accidents, driven by stigma and family denial.

Miller’s passion for this work stems from personal loss—his brother died by suicide 25 years ago. “At the time, we treated it in the only way we knew, stigma-driven,” he explained. After witnessing more progressive mental health discussions in the UK, Miller returned home determined to fill the gap. “We have so many more problems here… the poverty, crime, and corruption add to the burden,” he said.

Today, Miller’s NGO SafeTalk runs workshops that “destigmatise suicide, teach people how to recognise signs, and encourage effective communication.” One critical focus is on dismantling harmful myths. “Some say suicide is selfish or cowardly,” Miller noted, “but most people who take their lives believe they’re a burden.”

Disturbingly, young people aged 15 to 29 are South Africa’s highest-risk group. “It’s a demographic facing enormous pressure – academic, social, economic,” said Miller. He highlighted how social media contributes to information overload and self-comparison, leaving many feeling hopeless.

New data also points to a sharp increase in suicides among middle-aged South Africans (45–49), creating a volatile situation. “Two high-risk groups are living under one roof. Parents and children both battling the same darkness,” said Miller.

Beyond statistics, the cultural and familial breakdown adds to the crisis. “We’ve lost the ability to sit down and talk,” said the interviewer, reflecting on how technology has replaced dinner-table conversations with screen time. “We need to reconnect.”

Miller emphasised that meaningful change must begin with education and empathy. “We teach people how to talk, not with ‘what’s wrong,’ but with words that open the door.” For a nation already strained by adversity, SafeTalk’s work is a call to action: talk, connect, and heal.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Annisa Essack and Luno Miller.