Comparative economic positions of orphan, non-orphan and mixed households: Findings from round 3 of the Amajuba District Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

The HIV and AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa has orphaned many children, leaving the extended family responsible for their care. We use findings from a longitudinal study on child welfare in South Africa to compare the economic status of households that support only orphaned children (orphan households), those that support both orphan and non-orphan children (mixed households), and households that support only children whose parents are alive (non-orphan households). We ask the question “Which household type is the worst off?” We also discuss the extent to which the social grants system is assisting in poverty reduction, with particular reference to households’ abilities to provide material care for its children. Generally, the situation is one of dire poverty; 64% of all households fell below the poverty line. While mixed households appear to be the “worst off”, this is due mainly to them being larger and, therefore, carrying a greater burden. Government social grants provide an economic safety net but our data suggests that child support grants, in particular, are not being accessed by many in need of them.

Keywords:

• orphans
• HIV and AIDS
• household income
• poverty
• social grants
• food security

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) under its African Partnerships program (Grant R29 HD43629).

Notes

1. 1. The deprivation index measures the relative deprivation of populations across districts within South Africa. It is a composite measure derived from a set of demographic and socio-economic variables obtained from the 2007 Community Survey and the 2005 and 2006 General Household Surveys.

2. 2. Exchange rate as at 19 August 2011 was 1 USD = 7.260 ZAR (Source: http://www.xe.com).

3. 3. Parents can apply to the school governing body for total, partial or conditional exemption if they are unable to pay school fees. The criteria used for this exemption is determined by the school governing body and parents.

4. 4. Source: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/inflation-cpi

5. 5. “M” here does not represent the mean number of days or months, since this is merely an ordinal variable used in the analysis.