Introduction <p>Caring for persons with mental illness can be burdensome and could lead to home-based caregivers experiencing various physical, emotional, and psychological challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Despite these challenges, studies prioritise the experiences of the mentally ill persons and their immediate families, with less focus on the experiences of the home-based caregivers, especially those in rural areas. Thus, this study sought to explore the experiences of home-based caregivers of people living with chronic mental illness in Ga-Dikgale, Limpopo Province, South Africa.</p> Methods <p>The study used a qualitative research approach and an exploratory case study design. The population included home-based caregivers from Dikgale. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques was used to sample eight (six female and two male) home-based caregivers of family members with chronic mental illness from Ga-Dikgale, Limpopo Province. Data was collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.</p> Results and conclusion <p>Findings revealed that some caregivers are not adequately prepared to care for patients due to a lack of training and knowledge of handling mental health patients. Caregivers were also emotionally burdened, with minimal support from patients’ families, the government, and mental health professionals. These caregivers used coping mechanisms such as group discussions, prayer, and support from their friends and families to deal with these challenges. This study recommends a collaborative approach among the Department of Health, NGOs, and community healthcare services to facilitate support for home-based caregivers.</p>