Charles Southwood lived and worked in the Umhlali area most of his life. He married Norma D'Arifat in 1965. For 26 years he and his brother ran a spa shop until it accidentally burned to ground. After that Charles owned several businesses, including a gun shop,  a service station, and a glass recycling operation.

Charles retired a few years before he died and took up voluntary charitable work for the St Vincent de Paul Society, and also started an organization named NOAH to help AIDS orphans.

Charles died. of a brain tumour on 10th April 2006, leaving his wife Norma and three children, Karon, Charles, and Jennifer, all now living in the Umhlali or Durban areas. Those who knew Charles remember him particularly for his extraordinary kindness to others.