02-07-2025
Pastor from Standerton finds redemption after life of addiction
From Mr Popular to living on the streets, pastor Quincy Jacobs has experienced the full devastation of drug abuse and the joy of recovery.
His long history with substance use began at just 13 when he first encountered alcohol. At 15, he drank regularly, often skipping school to indulge.
'That played a big role in cultivating my mindset,' Jacobs said.
At 16, he started smoking marijuana but quit soon after, remaining mostly clean for five years. But at 21, he returned to daily marijuana use. In 1999, he came across an article in You magazine about the latest club drug: ecstasy.
'At this point, I had built up a tolerance to weed and wanted to try something new,' said Jacobs.
A few months later, while studying at Damelin College, he experimented with ecstasy and, soon after, LSD.
He noted that while psychedelics aren't generally considered physically addictive, he became deeply dependent on every drug he tried.
Everything changed when he used ephedrine, a key ingredient in CAT. In 2005, his drug use escalated when he and a friend bought crack cocaine.
Jacobs said there was no turning back after that first hit.
'People always talked about how addictive crack was. I was always chasing a stronger high, so I found it appealing,' he said.
'Crack was the drug that finally broke me; it cracked me wide open.'
Within a month, he was fully dependent. After three months, he was smoking R1 000 of crack daily. He spiralled into a life of crime, scamming others, selling his clothes and chasing his next fix.
'I went from being the life of the party to a socially withdrawn, full-blown crackhead,' he said.
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Years later, Jacobs tried crystal meth for the first time.
'Whenever a new drug hit the streets of Joburg, I was always one of the first to try it,' he said.
His meth addiction left him homeless on the streets of Johannesburg. He chose street life to spare his mother further pain.
During this time, his drug use peaked. He was using crystal meth, Mandrax, heroin, anything he could get.
'I even sold a blanket from a charity and groceries from a local church just to get high,' he admitted.
After seven years, his rock bottom unexpectedly arrived. He woke up one day planning to get heroin, but it started raining before he could sell anything for the money he needed.
'When you withdraw from heroin, it's called 'downing'. I always told myself I'd stop when I downed,' he said.
As the day wore on, his body ached. The withdrawal pain was overwhelming – like dying, he said.
In desperation, Jacobs turned to God, pleading for relief. When the withdrawal became unbearable, he called his mother's friend, who took him to the hospital.
'My mother saved my life that day. She convinced them to treat me despite my history, then took me home after six long hours,' he said.
That night, he bathed, ate and slept. The next morning, he felt good for the first time in years.
'I thought it would pass, that the cravings would come back. But one day became two, and before I knew it, I was three months sober.'
At three months clean, Jacobs enrolled at Destiny College International. At 38, he began studying to become a pastor. Now nine years sober, he runs the Cherith House rehab centre, which recently opened in Standerton. He thanks God daily for the empathy and strength to help others recover.
'My work keeps me accountable, and God gives me the strength to continue,' Jacobs said.
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