Household Living Arrangements among Black/African Women of Reproductive Age in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Tatenda Mugwendere, University of Cape Town
Tom A. Moultrie, University of Cape Town

Empirical research on changing household living arrangements in South Africa is extensive and diverse. However, most studies adopt a static household perspective, neglecting the impact of individual life course factors like age. Few studies, primarily focusing on children and the elderly, have explored how these changes unfold across the individual life course. This paper pioneers an investigation into living arrangement patterns among Black/African women of reproductive age in South Africa, set against the backdrop of rising non-marital fertility, declining union formation, and limited labour market access. Leveraging cross-sectional data from 1996 to 2019 (derived from multiple census enquiries, Community Surveys, General Household Surveys, and Demographic and Health Surveys) and longitudinal data from the National Income and Dynamics Study (2008-2017), this research examines both the composition of living arrangements at a given time and their stability, durability, and evolution over time. By describing these patterns from an individual perspective, this study sheds light on residential choices (forced or otherwise) and potential housing needs, acknowledging that households diversify, decompose, and re-compose throughout the life course.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households

See extended abstract.