“This Is So Sad”: SA Stunned After Man Found Living Inside Joburg Electric Box in Instagram Video
- A man was discovered sleeping inside a street electric box in Johannesburg, caught on camera by a passerby
- The Feed JHB shared the clip on Instagram, showing how desperate homelessness has become in South Africa
- Eskom has repeatedly warned that these boxes carry high voltage and pose a serious shock risk to anyone inside
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A man was found living inside a street electric box in Johannesburg, caught in an Instagram video shared by The Feed JHB. The clip left South Africans stunned, showing how desperate homelessness has become across Gauteng’s cities and towns.
The footage showed the man tucked inside the metal box along a busy roadside. It quickly gained traction online, with hundreds of people reacting within hours.
Hidden dangers behind those metal doors
These street boxes are not empty shells. They usually house transformers or switching equipment that carries serious voltage for nearby homes and businesses. Eskom has previously warned for years that tampering with this equipment, or sheltering near it, can lead to fatal shocks. Faults inside these boxes have also caused fires and explosions in residential areas before.
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The biggest danger comes from exposed or damaged wiring inside these units. Anyone touching a live component risks instant death, with almost no warning beforehand. Despite these risks, more homeless people are turning to street infrastructure for shelter during harsh winters.
Briefly News has previously reported on cases where people were found sheltering inside a power station. This shows a troubling pattern building across the country. Shelters remain scarce, and many homeless South Africans say they cannot afford the daily fees some shelters charge.
Social media users shared mixed reactions under the post. Some expressed heartbreak over the man’s living conditions and South Africa’s housing crisis. Others used the moment to criticise government failures around service delivery and social welfare. A few commenters questioned whether the man was under the influence of substances. Many agreed that homelessness remains a growing and urgent problem nationwide.
Watch the video here.
More stories involving homeless people
- American duo Chandler and Josh took in a homeless man named Trevor and are helping him rebuild his life from scratch.
- A police response was triggered in Cape Town after a homeless man was allegedly presumed dead while he was sleeping.
- A South African man showed people the good work he did to help a man on the street.
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Source: Briefly News
