Vuyo Charles was born and grew up in Thabong (Welkom). He was the sixth child of Mr and Mrs Charles. Like many other students at the time, he experienced the injustices of the apartheid government regarding the inferior standard of education which was given to blacks. Owing to such imbalances in as far as education and the generally appalling living conditions which blacks were subjected to, Vuyo became one of the pioneers in the establishment of the COSAS branch in Thabong. The main aim of this branch was to mobilise the students in the area to fight for their rights. James Sibongile Mgabashe was one of the people recruited by Vuyo while he was still as student at Lebogang High School in Welkom
