MES works with homeless and vulnerable people in inner-city areas, providing shelter, skills training and support services, with branches in Johannesburg, Kempton Park, Cape Town and Gqeberha.
Giving money to someone on the street rarely helps them, and organisations working in this field consistently ask that donations go to the service rather than to the individual, because a shelter bed and a meal are what the money then buys.
A registered public benefit organisation can issue a section 18A certificate for a qualifying donation, which allows it to be claimed against tax. That is worth asking about before giving.
This page covers how to contact MES in South Africa. The details below were taken from the official MES contact page rather than from any third-party directory.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not MES and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel quickly.
MES contact numbers
These routes were verified against the official MES contact page on 23 August 2026. Contact numbers do change, so confirm on the official page before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| National office, Hillbrow | +27 11 725 6531 |
| National office email | [email protected] |
| +27 66 371 5787 | |
| Kempton Park | +27 11 024 4580 |
| Cape Town, Bellville | +27 21 949 8736 |
| Gqeberha, Korsten | +27 41 451 2657 |
The national office is at 16 Kapteijn Street, Hillbrow, Johannesburg, 2038.
MES works with homeless and vulnerable people in inner-city areas, providing shelter, skills and support services. Giving money to someone on the street rarely helps them, and organisations working in this field consistently ask that donations go to the service rather than to the individual, because a shelter bed and a meal are what the money then buys.
Self-service options before you call
- Check the official site at mes.org.za, which carries the current contact details and any online enquiry form.
- WhatsApp on +27 66 371 5787, which works over wifi and leaves you a written record.
- Email to [email protected], which gives you a written record of what you asked and when.
- Calling outside peak times. Monday mornings and the hour after 17:00 are usually the worst for South African contact centres.
What to have ready before you call
- A clear one line summary of what you need resolved.
- Your account, order or reference number if you already have one.
- The identity document or account holder details, since most South African providers verify who you are before discussing an account.
- Dates, amounts and any error message exactly as it appeared.
- A pen and paper for the reference number. Ask for one every time, because without it a follow up call starts from nothing.
Your rights at a South African till
- A displayed price generally binds the retailer. Under the Consumer Protection Act a supplier must not charge more than the displayed price, and where two prices are shown the lower applies. A narrow exception exists for an obvious error, which the retailer must correct and give notice of.
- You have six months to return a defective product for a repair, replacement or refund, and the choice among those three is yours, not the retailer’s. This is the right most often misstated at a returns counter.
- A ‘no refunds’ sign does not override the Act. A retailer cannot contract out of the CPA.
- Change of mind is different. There is no general right to return something because you no longer want it; a retailer allowing it is offering a policy, not meeting an obligation.
- A store account is a credit agreement regulated under the National Credit Act. Ask for the total cost of credit rather than the monthly instalment, and check what insurance and fees are bundled in.
- Keep the till slip. Almost every remedy depends on proof of purchase.
Escalate in order: the store manager, then group customer care, then the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, which is free to consumers and will ask for the retailer’s reference number. Get that reference at the first step.
Complaints and escalation
If a first call does not resolve the matter, escalate through the organisation’s own office, in writing. Registered non-profit organisations are listed with the Department of Social Development, and a registered public benefit organisation is accountable to SARS for its tax status. Where someone is in immediate danger that is not a complaint but an emergency, and the South African Police Service on 10111 is the first call.
Keep a short written log of each contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the agent and the reference number. Most non-profit complaint processes ask for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
Avoiding fake MES contact numbers
Contact details for well known South African brands are a common target for impersonation. Numbers that look official appear in search ads, social media replies and cloned websites, and the person answering is not MES.
- Reach MES through the official site at mes.org.za rather than through a number in a search advert or a social media reply.
- MES will never ask you for your full card number, PIN, CVV, online banking password or a one time PIN. Nobody legitimate needs those to help you.
- Treat any caller who creates urgency, asks you to install remote access software, or asks you to move money to a safe account as fraudulent, and end the call.
- If you are unsure whether a call was genuine, hang up and dial the official number yourself rather than calling back a number the caller gave you.
Related contact pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the MES contact number?
The routes are listed in the table above, with what each one is for. The main route is +27 11 725 6531. Confirm it on mes.org.za before relying on it, since numbers are changed from time to time.
How do I know a MES number is genuine?
Check it against the official site at mes.org.za. A number that only appears in a search advert, a social media reply or a third-party directory should not be trusted for anything involving your account, your money or your identity document.
What should I do if nobody resolves my query?
Ask for the complaint reference and the escalation path on your first call, then follow the escalation route described above. Keep the dates, agent names and reference numbers, because every formal complaint process will ask for them.
Can ContactDetails.co.za resolve this for me?
No. We are an independent directory, not MES, and we have no access to your account. Everything here is a routing aid so that you reach the correct official channel with the right information in hand.
Is there a cost to calling these numbers?
South African 0860 and 0861 numbers are charged at a share-call or standard rate depending on your provider, and 0800 numbers are toll free from a landline. Calls from a mobile are billed at your own operator’s rate, so check your plan if cost matters.
Contact routes on this page were checked against the official MES source on 23 August 2026. If you find a detail that has changed, the official source is always the authority.