Stateless in South Africa: ‘You’re invisible, you don’t exist’ – life without a birth certificate
Published: 2/Jan/2026
Source: BBC News
By Mayeni Jones
Many people may take their birth certificate, or similar official papers, for granted – hidden in a drawer and rarely seeing the light of day – but for those without one, it can lead to a shadow life or an uncertain existence.
This is thought to affect millions of people around the world, described as stateless, and 25-year-old South African Arnold Ncube is one of those.
Because he has no state-issued documents, washing cars in the backstreets of Thembisa township near Johannesburg is one of the few ways he can make a living.
He was born in Johannesburg and his father is South African, qualifying him for citizenship here. But when he tried to register for secondary school, he realised he didn’t have a birth certificate.
Having been abandoned by his parents – his dad left before he was born and his mum when he was 14 – he could not prove his status.
“It’s a painful thing,” he says. “You’re basically invisible. You don’t exist. It’s like you’re living in the shadows. You don’t have a bank account, you can’t apply for a decent job that you can earn a living with.”
Read further: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2drqwp2eyo