Pretoria man finds hope after his story goes viral on TikTok

The Citizen

a day ago

Pretoria man finds hope after his story goes viral on TikTok
More than a year ago, a viral TikTok video of a Pretoria man begging at a Lynnwood traffic light touched thousands of hearts.
That man was Jaco Niemand — once a South African golf champion, later trapped in addiction and living on the streets for nearly 15 years. The video touched thousands, sparking an outpouring of support and setting Jaco on a path of recovery that has brought him further than he ever thought possible.
Watch the first video of Jaco here:
Jaco's love affair with golf began when he was just four years old. By the age of nine, he had become South African champion over 3km in his age group — a promising young sportsman with dreams of making it big. After school, he pursued his studies in golf, confident of a bright future in the sport.
But during his university years, things took a darker turn. Introduced to drugs while living the high-energy student lifestyle, Jaco soon found himself partying hard, making a lot of money, and numbing his emotions with cocaine. Over time, he moved on to 'cat,' heroin, and finally, nyoape.
'I started using to suppress pain I didn't want to deal with,' Jaco says. 'As men, we're never really taught how to handle our emotions.'
The more he used, the more his life unravelled. Eventually, he lost everything — his possessions, his career prospects, and his home.
His addiction demanded up to R2,500 a day, with each fix costing around R250.
'It's a vicious cycle — the more your conscience bothers you, the more you use to silence it,' he explains.
By the time photographer Albert Bredenhann met him in Lynnwood, Jaco was gaunt, desperate, and dangerously close to death. That day, Albert gave him R100 — money Jaco admits he used to buy drugs.
But the real turning point came the following day, when Albert returned, took him for coffee, and drove him directly to a rehabilitation centre, stopping to buy him clothes along the way because Jaco had nothing.
'When I saw Jaco and heard his story, I knew he didn't belong on the streets,' Albert says.
'I wanted people to see that those on the streets are human beings with dreams and hope.'
At the rehab centre, Jaco broke down under a hot shower — his first in months.
'On the streets, lice take over your body. That shower felt like washing off my old life,' he says.
This wasn't his first attempt at sobriety. Jaco had tried seven times before, relapsing six times. 'In the beginning, I stayed clean for Albert —
I didn't want to disappoint him. But after six weeks, I realised I had to do it for myself.'
One of his hardest moments in recovery was apologising to his twin brother, who had driven every month to beg him to go to rehab. 'I wasn't ready before. Timing is everything.'
Now 20 kilograms heavier, Jaco is healthier, happier, and rediscovering his passions.
Most days, he can be found on the golf course — the place he says feels most like home.
'Golf has been my passion since I was four.
It's part of who I am, and I still dream of a future in it.'
He also cherishes life's simplest joys.
'One of my proudest moments after rehab was making my first plate of food for myself — spaghetti bolognese,' he smiles.
Jaco and Albert are now close friends, often sharing a braai together. For Albert, the reward is seeing Jaco thrive.
'When we took him to rehab, he had nothing. That's where support really matters.'
Jaco hopes his story will inspire others still trapped on the streets or in addiction.
'Drugs kill you from the inside out. All you think about is your next fix. But you can break free — you just can't do it alone.'
Also read: SASSA payment dates for September 2025: What you need to know
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