The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) South Africa has coordinated a major humanitarian response for more than 2,000 Zimbabwean nationals sheltering outside the Department of Home Affairs offices in Epping, Cape Town, while awaiting voluntary repatriation to their home country.

The displaced group had gathered at the offices seeking assistance with returning home following recent social unrest against illegal migration in South Africa. As their numbers grew to more than 2,000, many were forced to sleep outdoors, exposed to Cape Town's cold winter temperatures, rain, and strong winds. Families with young children, pregnant women, and elderly individuals were among the most affected.

Recognising the urgency, ADRA South Africa and the Reality 7 Foundation conducted a joint humanitarian assessment on Tuesday, 1 July 2026, engaging the Zimbabwean Consulate, community leadership, other humanitarian organisations, and the South African Police Service in coordinating a response.

ADRA's relief operation began the following day, Wednesday, 2 July 2026, with teams distributing blankets, infant food, sanitary supplies, hygiene items, and warm clothing to those sheltering at the site. Volunteers from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including young people from the Cape Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, assisted government officials with data capture and administrative processes to accelerate documentation for those awaiting transport.

Food assistance and blanket distribution have been coordinated jointly with several humanitarian partners since the operation began.

Buses have since been departing Epping daily, transporting migrants back to Zimbabwe under an organised voluntary repatriation process. To date, approximately 23 buses have departed carrying an estimated 2,000 migrants home. Departures are expected to continue in the coming days as more people are processed. Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Dorcas Women's Ministries have joined ADRA staff in cleaning the Department of Home Affairs premises in the wake of each departure.

ADRA South Africa Country Director Mhlonipheni Ncube said the response reflected the agency's core mission.

"The work of ADRA extends beyond providing emergency relief," Ncube said. "As followers of Christ, we are called to preserve human dignity, relieve suffering, and restore hope. We are grateful to every partner, volunteer, donor, and government official whose collaboration made it possible to serve thousands of people during this crisis."

Ncube also acknowledged the readiness with which church members joined the operation.

"The willingness of our Adventist volunteers, from our youth to the Dorcas Women's Ministries, demonstrates the Church's commitment to being the hands and feet of Jesus in times of need," he said. "Their service reflected Christ's love through practical ministry."

The Cape Town operation forms part of a wider Adventist humanitarian response to cross-border displacement. Adventist volunteers in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, have separately been feeding thousands of Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals arriving at the border, in a parallel response coordinated through the local Beitbridge Central District.