“I Lived in a Toilet”: Moshe Ndiki Opens Up About Homeless Past
TV personality Moshe Ndiki has revealed that before fame and success, he endured a painful period of homelessness in Johannesburg — sleeping at the Gautrain station and in the toilets at Sandton City while trying to complete his studies.
The 34-year-old actor and presenter shared his story during an emotional interview with Farieda Matsileng on YouTube.
“I’ve been homeless before”
Moshe said he kept his situation a secret from friends and even his family at the time.
“I’ve been homeless before. Here in Joburg. I was sleeping at the Gautrain station and a toilet in Sandton City.”
He explained that he was studying full-time but struggled to afford tuition, accommodation and living expenses.
“The school fees alone was R44K a year. That excludes accommodation, that excludes food, that excludes transport, it excludes everything.
“I got a job in retail. I was working at Sandton City. They were paying me R4 500 per month. I made a debit order with the school to take R4 400. So, I was left with R100,” he said.
“I was staying at the train station”
Eventually, Moshe could no longer afford rent. Although his mother encouraged him to come back home, he told her he was staying with a friend.
“There came a time where I couldn’t even afford the rent anymore and my mum told me to come back home, but I was like, ‘No, don’t worry, Moms. I’m staying with a friend.’ I was staying at the train station.”
He said even his wealthy friends had no idea what he was going through.
“They’d ask me, ‘Moshe, where are you going? Where should we drop you off? Where do you stay?’
“I’d say, ‘No friend, don’t worry. I’ll catch a cab.’ They’d drop me off and I’d walk to the train station.”
“My alarm was the first train”
Moshe admitted he would hide in the station toilets at night to avoid being noticed.
“I was sitting in the toilet because I didn’t want them to see me. You’re not supposed to be there. My alarm was the first train,” he said.
He later landed a job at a nightclub and would work through the night before sneaking into Sandton City to freshen up and rest briefly before his retail shift.
“I would club up until like 6am, go to Sandton City, freshen up, take a nap there because in the morning no one is using those changing rooms. I would sleep there and then be up and ready for work,” Moshe said.
Painful memories
Despite his rise to fame as a comedian, presenter and actor, the memories of that time still linger.
“When I passed there, I’m like, ‘Hey, my old accommodation’. For some reason, I couldn’t even bring myself to walk in there. I never use that toilet. I would much rather just pretend like it doesn’t exist,” he said.
Today, Moshe Ndiki is a household name in South African entertainment — but his story is a reminder of the resilience behind the spotlight.
