M.A. (Social Work) / Poverty is perceived by various authors to bea challenge in African countries, including South Africa. O’Brien and Mazibuko (1998, p. 140) state that poverty “is characterised by a host of factors, including under-nutrition, unemployment, illiteracy, and unequal and poor access to health, housing, education and decision-making resources”. The above-mentioned authors state that these factors both result from and perpetuate poverty. According to Rogerson (1996), the effects of poverty are seen more among the black communities, and there is more poverty in the informal settlements compared to other residential areas. After 1994, one of the South African government’s key priorities was to eradicate poverty and the focus was on the improvement of the standard of living and quality of life for all South Africans. Various strategies and policies were then introduced in order to alleviate poverty, one of them beingthe introduction of social assistance (Ellis, 2011, pp. 63-72). According to Triegaardt and Patel (2005), social security in the developing countries, including South Africa, is very important for poverty reduction and ensuring a basic minimum standard of living for the people. The above-mentioned authors also emphasise that there is a need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of social assistance as this will help to ascertainif the programme is making any contribution to the lives of the people and to help keep up with the changing environment. This study focused on the contribution of social grants to alleviating poverty in an informal settlement. The research study aimed to assess the beneficiaries’ perspectives on the contribution of social grants to alleviating poverty in an informal settlement. Some of the objectives of the study were to explore the perspectives of social grant beneficiaries in Angelo informal settlement on the role of social grants in their lives and to describe how social grant beneficiaries in Angelo informal settlement understand the impact of social grants on their poverty-stricken conditions. This qualitative study was exploratory and descriptive in nature. Ten individual semistructured interviews were conducted in the Angelo informal settlement using an interview schedule. Themes were used to categorise and analyse data. The findings indicated that social grants play a great role in alleviating poverty in an informal...

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MA / Unrestricted

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is a strategy that can be adapted by low income households in Orange Farm to meet their food and nutritional requirements. The practice is a basis upon which poor families can enhance their incomes by producing part of their food needs, hence saving money for use on other livelihood obligations. This dissertation discusses the importance of urban and peri-urban agriculture as a method easily available to low income families residing in informal settlements to access food and incomes. Urban agriculture is examined in the context of poverty alleviation. A descriptive and quantitative assessment of the salient variables of the practice in the area is attempted in order to give an insight of the potential role the sector can play in eliminating poverty, enhancing incomes and creating employment. The study shows that participation in urban farming can impact significantly on poverty conditions and improve livelihoods. / MA (Development Studies)

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the cruelest legacies of the apartheid era in South Africa was that it created a situation in which a very large proportion of children in the African and Coloured populations live in households affected by severe poverty. The first aim of this dissertation is to make a contribution to knowledge about the South African child poverty profile and its sensitivity to the adult equivalence scale used in measurement. This contribution is based on the Income & Expenditure Survey 2005. In April 1998, following the recommendations of the Lund Committee, the Child Support Grant (CSG) cash transfer programme was introduced. This programme initially paid a benefit of R100 a month to primary caregivers who passed a means test to help them care for children age 0-6. Currently it offers R250 to primary caregivers of children age 0-15 who pass a means test. The second aim of this dissertation is to synthesize the main findings and knowledge gaps of the performance of the CSG based on an analysis of the existing research on the programme. The questions used to structure the CSG analysis are derived from an application of the Rossi et al. (2004) systematic approach for tailoring a social programme evaluation and cover the logic of the programme‘s impact theory, implementation impact and design. Chapter one considers conceptual and methodological issues in child poverty measurement, thereby providing methodological foundations for the analysis. Chapter two reviews the existing research on child poverty in South Africa and identifies knowledge gaps that the Income and Expenditure Survey of 2005 analysis contributes towards filling. Chapter three presents the findings on the sensitivity of the child poverty profile to changes in the adult equivalence scale as well as on the dimensions of the South African child poverty profile. Chapter four describes the Rossi et al. (2004) method for tailoring a social programme evaluation and applies it, thereby laying the foundations for the CSG programme analysis, presented in chapter five. The conclusion explains how the child poverty analysis in the first half of the dissertation relates to the CSG analysis in the second and draws implications of the dissertation‘s main findings for future research. Setting the poverty line at the 40th percentile of households calculated with different AESs, the scope and composition of child poverty are found to be relatively insensitive to the scale used. This supports the argument that it may be appropriate in South Africa to use a poverty line based on a per capita welfare measure. For the construction of the poverty profile per capita income is used as the welfare indicator, with the poverty line set at the 40th percentile of household. The profile finds that poverty remains more extensive amongst children than adults even after the massive injection of cash via the CSG into poor households with children. Large variations across provinces remain. The child poverty headcount and depth and severity measures are all found to be higher amongst children age 0-4 than children age 15-17, despite the prioritization of very young children in the roll out of the CSG programme. The finding that children age 0-4 are still most in need questions the logic behind the government‘s recent decision to expand coverage of the grant to children age 15-17 instead of allocating additional funds to support this group. The CSG programme impact theory is found to be reasonable. A substantial amount of research on the programme‘s implementation is identified, which shows the massive expansion in its coverage since 2000 and that, in general, it has been well implemented. Delay in reaching very young eligible children, under-representation of children with non-biological caregivers and failure to reach some of the very poorest children who live in remote areas emerge as weaknesses in programme implementation. Barriers to access are identified. The difficulty of distilling the effects of the CSG programme on child poverty and its associated deprivations in the absence of a randomized community trial is explained, as is the need to use direct rather than indirect monetary indicators to isolate the impacts of the CSG on child poverty. A small yet convincing evidence base on the impacts of the programme is identified; this shows that it has been achieving its ultimate objectives of reducing child deprivation and promoting human capital development. It is argued that the existing research and current budgetary context suggests that: the income means test should not be eliminated; the CSG benefit value should not be raised substantially; school related conditions should not have been linked to receipt of the CSG benefit; and, even in the case of children age 16 and above, the grant should be paid to children via the primary caregiver. The research priorities implied by this dissertation are organized into three separate yet interrelated areas of research. The first is further research on the dimensions of multi-dimensional child poverty in South Africa. Here the spotlight needs to be on: understanding more about which children are deprived and in what sense; similarities and differences between the composition of poverty based on indirect monetary measures and other more direct measures of deprivation; the circumstances which ensure that children age 0-4 are still most in need (at least in the resource deprivation sense). The second area is research on the implementation of the CSG programme, in which case the findings from the existing research on the weaknesses in programme implementation and concerns about targeting outcomes need to guide the research. The third area of research identified as requiring further attention is that of the CSG‘s impacts on child deprivation (wellbeing). Here the focus needs to be on establishing which children are benefiting most and least from the grant and why. Towards this end quantitative researchers need to follow the lead of other researchers and use direct indicators of child outcomes. Qualitative research on who controls the resources that flow into the household, as well as how resources are allocated inside the household, can make an important contribution to answering these questions. The CSG‘s potential to generate behavioral effects which could alter household structure and/or income earned from wages is something that is also identified as important for researchers to explore. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die wreedste erfenisse van Suid-Afrika se apartheid-era was dat dit ‘n toestand geskep het waarin die grootse gros van swart en kleurling kinders in huishoudings geleef het wat deur armoede geraak is. Die eerste doel van hierdie proefskrif is om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot kennis omtrent die Suid-Afrikaanse kinderarmoedeprofiel en hoe sensitief dit is vir die volwassene-ekwivalentskaal waarmee dit gemeet word. Die empiriese bydrae oor die kinderarmoedeprofiel en sy sensitiwiteit vir die VES is gebaseer op die Inkomste- en Bestedingstudie van 2005. Na die aanbevelings van die Lund-komitee is die Kinderbystandstoelae (KBT), ʼn program van kontantoordragte, in April 1998 bekendgestel. Die program het aanvanklik ʼn voordeel van R100 per maand aan primêre versorgers betaal wat aan 'n middeletoets voldoen het om hulle te help om kinders van 0 tot 6 jaar oud te versorg. Tans word R250 aangebied aan primêre versorgers van kinders van 0 tot 16 jaar wat aan die middeletoets voldoen. Die tweede doel van hierdie proefskrif is om vas te stel wat die belangrikste vrae is wat tans gevra behoort te word omtrent die KBT se vertoning, gegrond op ʼn analise van die bestaande navorsing oor hierdie program, om die bevindings en kennisleemtes hieroor saam te vat. Hoofstuk 1 beskou konsepsuele en metodologiese kwessies rakende die metings van kinderarmoede, wat die metodologiese grondslag vir hierdie analise bied. Hoofstuk 2 gee 'n oorsig van die bestaande navorsing oor kinderarmoede in Suid-Afrika en identifiseer sodoende die kennisleemtes, wat die analise van die IBS help vul. Hoofstuk 3 bied bevindinge oor die ontleding van die sensitiwiteit van die kinderarmoedeprofiel vir die volwasse-ekwivalentskaal wat gebruik word en dateer hierdie profiel op met gebruik van die Inkomste- en Bestedingstudie van 2006. Hoofstuk 4 beskryf Rossi et el. (2004) se metode oor hoe om ʼn maatskaplike program te beoordeel en pas dit toe om belangrike vrae te identifiseer wat oor die KBT gevra behoort te word. Hoofstuk 5 bied antwoorde op hierdie vrae rakende die KBT sowel as bevindinge en kennisleemtes uit die literatuur rakende die KBT-program. Deur die armoedelyn op die 40e persentiel van huishoudings soos met verskillende VES‘e bereken te stel, word gevind dat die omvang en samestelling van kinderarmoede redelik onsensitief is vir die skaal wat gebruik word. Dit ondersteun die argument dat dit toepaslik mag wees om 'n per capita armoedelyn vir berekening van Suid-Afrikaanse armoedeprofiele te gebruik. Dus word die armoedelyn op die 40e persentiel van per capita inkomste gestel vir die konstruksie van die armoedeprofiel. Hierdie profiel toon dat armoede onder kinders meer algemeen is as onder volwassenes, selfs ná die massiewe inspuiting van kontant in arm huishoudings met kinderlede deur die KBT. Daar bly groot onderskeide tussen provinsies. Vir kinders 0 tot 4 is die koppetelling, diepte en intensiteit van kinderarmoede alles hoër as vir ouer kinders tot in die groep 15–17. Dit ondersteun die regering se huidige beleid om voorkeur te verleen aan jonger kinders in die stryd teen armoede. Die teorie agter die KBT program se impak word as redelik beoordeel. ʼn Beduidende hoeveelheid navorsing bestaan oor die KBT se implementering. Dit toon die massiewe uitbreiding van die program sedert 2000 en dat die program in die algemeen goed geïmplementeer is. Swakpunte in implementering wat uitgewys word is die sloering om baie jong kwalifiserende kinders te bereik en onderverteenwoordiging van kinders waarvan die versorgers nie biologies verwant is aan die kinders nie. Daar word aangevoer dat die beperkte navorsing oor die KBT-program se impak daarop dui dat dit sy uiteindelike doelstelling bereik om kinderontbering te verminder en menslike kapitaal te bevorder. Die analise van die KBT-program lei tot die slotsom dat die inkomste-middeletoets nie uitgeskakel moet word nie, dat skoolplig-voorwaardes nie vir die program moes ingestel geword het nie, dat die voordeelvlakke van die program nie tans beduidend verhoog moet word nie en dat die toelae ook in die geval van ouer kinders (16 jaar en meer) wel steeds aan die primêre versorger uitbetaal behoort te word. Een duidelike kennisleemte oor die KBT-program is hoe dit gedrag beïnvloed, in die vorm van arbeidsmigrasie, arbeidsaanbod en fertiliteit, sowel as gesinstruktuur en reëlings rondom die versorging van kinders. ʼn Verdere kennisleemte is hoe die program op die vlak van beleid en implementering met ander ondersteuningsmaatsreëls vir kinders geïntegreer is. Die analise wys op die behoefte daaraan om beleidsopsies te verken wat sal help dat kinders wie se versorgers nie biologiese verwante is nie netsoveel sal baat van die inkomste wat weens die KBT in arm huishoudings invloei as ander kinders. Navorsingsprioriteite wat uit hierdie proefskrif se bevindinge spruit kan in drie onafhanklike maar gekoppelde navorsingsgebiede gegroepeer word. Die eerste is verdere navorsing oor die dimensies van multi-dimensionele kinderarmoede in Suid-Afrika. Hier behoort die soeklig te val op: ʼn beter begrip van watter kinders ontbeer en in watter sin; ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die samestelling van armoede gebaseer op indirekte monetêre maatstawwe en ander meer direkte maatstawwe van ontbering; en wat veroorsaak dat kinders in die ouderdomsgroep 0-4 se behoefte steeds die grootste is (ten minste in die hulpbron-ontbering sin van die woord). Die tweede gebied is navorsing oor die implementering van die KBT-program, waar bevindinge oor swakhede in program-implementering uit bestaande navorsing en besorgdheid oor die uitkomste van teikening navorsing behoort te rig. Die derde navorsingsgebied wat verdere aandag verg is die KBT se impak op kinderontbering en -welsyn. Hier behoort die klem daarop te val om vas te stel watter kinders die meeste voordeel trek uit die toelae en hoekom dit die geval is. In hierdie verband word geargumenteer dat kwantitatiewe navorsers ander navorsers se voorbeeld behoort te volg en direkte maatstawwe van kinderuitkomste behoort te gebruik. Kwalitatiewe navorsing oor wie bronne beheer wat die huishouding binnevloei en hoe dit binne die huishouding toegedeel word, kan veel tot die beantwoording van hierdie vrae bydra. Nog iets wat uitgewys word as ʼn belangrike gebied wat navorsers verder moet ontgin is die KBT se potensiële effek op gedrag wat huishoudingstruktuur en/of looninkomste beïnvloed.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Contextual stressors that are associated with living in low-income communities have an adverse impact on the mental health of adolescents. International studies indicate that this outcome is influenced by the presence of factors that may buffer the impact of stressors, or which may increase adolescents' vulnerability to experiencing stress. The present study was aimed at exploring the factors that influence the mental health of 173 school-going adolescents residing in low-income communities in the Western Cape. By using a quantitative method with a correlational design, the research explored the relationship between depression (measured on the Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition) and the following factors respectively: self-esteem (measured on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), coping strategies (measured on the Coping Strategies Indicator), perceived social support (measured on the Social Support Appraisals Scale) and resilience (measured on the Resilience Scale for Adolescents). Results of the correlational analyses indicated that high self-esteem, higher use of the problem-solving coping strategy, stronger perceived social support and higher resilience were significantly related to decreased levels of depression. In contrast, higher use of the avoidant coping strategy was significantly related to higher levels of depression. These results indicate that while some factors may buffer the impact of perceived contextual stressors on adolescents' mental health (for example, problem-solving coping, stronger perceived social support and resilience), other factors may increase adolescents' vulnerability to experiencing depression (for example, avoidant coping). These results may inform interventions focused on promoting mental health or preventing incidence of depression in adolescents living in low-income communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kontekstuele stressors wat geassosieer word met ʼn bestaan in lae-inkomstegemeenskappe het ʼn nadelige impak op die geestesgesondheid van adolessente. Internasionale studies dui daarop dat hierdie resultaat beïnvloed word deur die teenwoordigheid van faktore wat die impak van stressors kan versag of adolessente se kwesbaarheid vir stres kan verhoog. Die huidige studie is daarop gemik om ondersoek in te stel na die faktore wat die geestesgesondheid van 173 skoolgaande adolessente, wat in lae-inkomstegemeenskappe in die Wes-Kaap woon, beïnvloed. Deur ʼn kwantitatiewe metode met ʼn korrelasionele ontwerp te gebruik, het die studie ondersoek ingestel na die verhouding tussen depressie (bepaal volgens die Beck-depressie-inventaris-Tweede uitgawe [Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition]) en die volgende faktore: selfagting (bepaal volgens die Rosenberg-selfagtingskaal [Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale]), hanteringstrategieë (bepaal volgens die hanteringstrategie-aanduider [Coping Strategies Indicator]), waarneembare sosiale ondersteuning (bepaal volgens die sosiale-ondersteuningstakseringskaal [Social Support Appraisals Scale]) en geeskragtigheid (bepaal volgens die geesteskragtigheidskaal vir adolessente [Resilience Scale for Adolescents]). Die resultate van die korrelasionele ontleding dui daarop dat hoë selfagtingsvlakke, ʼn toename in die gebruik van probleemoplossingstrategieë vir die hantering van situasies, beter waarneembare sosiale steun en hoër geeskragtigheidsvlakke ʼn beduidende verwantskap toon met ʼn afname in depressievlakke. In teenstelling hiermee was daar ʼn opvallende verband tussen vermydingsgedragstrategieë en hoër depressievlakke. Hierdie resultate dui daarop dat hoewel sommige faktore die impak van waarneembare kontekstuele stressors op die geestesgesondheid van adolessente kan versag (byvoorbeeld probleemoplossingstrategieë vir die hantering van situasies, beter waarneembare sosiale steun en geeskragtigheid), ander faktore die adolessente se kwesbaarheid vir depressie kan verhoog (byvoorbeeld vermydingsgedragstrategieë). Hierdie resultate kan moontlik ʼn bydrae lewer tot ingrypings wat gemik is op die verbetering van geestesgesondheid of op die voorkoming van die voorkoms van depressie by adolessente wat in lae-inkomstegemeenskappe leef.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study gives us insight into the daily lives and battles for survival of poor women in an age of HIV/AIDS in rural areas of the Western Cape, South Africa. I set out to get an understanding of the shortcomings of the current interventions aimed at combating HIV and AIDS. Soon after I commenced my fieldwork I realised that it is the socio-economic circumstances of the people I encountered that was mostly responsible for their HIV positive status or the reason why they are living with HIV/AIDS rather than the choices they make. However, most of the interventions aimed at combating the global HIV/AIDS epidemic focuses on behavioural interventions or the provision of medical care. By entering the spheres in which women living with HIV/AIDS live their daily lives I aimed to get a better comprehension of the challenges they encounter and why the interventions that focus on behaviour and medical treatment fail to address the needs of these women. In doing so I learned about their struggles to merely stay alive and that protecting yourself against a disease like HIV/AIDS can appear as a luxury. A luxury you cannot afford when your only means of an income is your body which you need to barter in exchange for money or food and shelter. I learned about their powerlessness in protecting themselves against the disease and the loneliness they have to endure once they learn they are infected with the virus. In addition to this, it also came to my attention that their conditions of poverty are of such an extent that even ‘free’ medical treatment can sometimes be too expensive for them to afford because of hidden costs such as transport. At the end of my study it was my conclusion that we need to pay more attention to the root causes of the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to combat it successfully, also at the entry levels of the healthcare system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie bied insig in die daaglikese lewens en stryd om oorlewing van arm vroue in ‘n tyd van MIV/VIGS in die landelike gebiede van die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Ek het die studie begin met ‘n poging om die tekortkominge van die huidige intervensies om MIV/VIGS te bekamp beter te verstaan. Kort nadat ek met my veldwerk begin het het ek reeds tot die besef gekom dat die die sosio-ekonomiese omstandigehede die oorsaak is dat die vroue met die virus leef, eerder as die keuses wat hulle vrywilliglik maak. Ten spyte van my bevinding fokus meeste intervensies tans op gedragsveranderinge en mediese behandeling. Ek het die lewensruimtes van hierdie vroue binnegegaan in ‘n poging om die daaglikse uitdagings te verstaan, asook die redes hoekom die huidige intervensies nie hierdie vroue se behoeftes aanspreek nie. Deur dit te doen het ek geleer hoe dit as ‘n luuksheid beskou kan word om jouself teen infeksie met die virus te beskerm. ‘n Luuksheid wat jy nie kan bekostig indien jou lyf jou enigste bron van inkomste is wat jy moet gebruik om geld mee in te win of kos en woonplek te verseker nie. Vroue is dikwels magteloos om hulself teen infeksie met MIV/VIGS te beskerm en die eensaamheid waarmee hul moet saamleef wanneer hul wel met die virus ge-infekteer is. Dit het ook onder my aandag gekom dat die armoede van so ‘n aard is dat selfs ‘gratis’ mediese behandeling soms onbekostigbaar is as gevolg van versteekte kostes, soos vervoer. Aan die einde van my studie was dit my gevolgtrekking dat daar meer aandag geskenk moet word aan die oorsake wat aanleiding gee tot die verspreiding van die MIV/VIGS epidemie indien ons dit suksesvol wil bekamp, ook op die intreevlakke van die gesondheidstelsel.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master Technology: Consumer Science Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / Food security is a global concern and the insecurity thereof is prevalent in South Africa even though the country is deemed to be secure in terms of food availability. The study was conducted to determine the socio-economic, health and nutrition and food security status of the community living in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu Natal, in addition to analysing their coping strategies. Two hundred and fifty seven respondents were required to participate in this study. Data were collected by interviewing the respondents using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaires; socio demographic questionnaires, dietary intake questionnaires- namely 24 hour recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the coping strategy questionnaires were used. Lastly anthropometric measurements were taken to determine BMI. A prevalence of extreme poverty exists as a magnitude of the high unemployment rate, out of which 75.8% had been unemployed for more than 3 years. The household monthly income was less than R500 per month for 37.3% of the respondents. The mean Food Variety Scores (FVS) (±SD) for all foods consumed from the food groups during seven days was 22.45 (±10.32), indicating a low food variety score. In this study the food group diversity is summarized as the majority of the respondents (91.1%, n=226) being classified with a good dietary diversity score using 6-9 food groups. The mean of the three 24-Hour recall nutrient analysis indicated a deficient intake by both men and women in all of the nutrients (100% of the men and women could not meet the DRI’s for energy and calcium) except for the mean (±SD) carbohydrate intake by men aged 19-50 (214.71 ± 80.22). The main source of food intake was from the carbohydrate food group with an insufficient intake of animal products, dairy products and fruits and vegetables respectively; contributing to the macro and micro nutrient inadequacies. Ninety six percent of this community experienced some level of food insecurity with the worst Coping Strategy Index food insecurity score being 117 out of a possible 175. Four percent of this community was classified as being food secure. Overweight and obesity were the most exceptional anthropometric features by the women respondents with 26.5% (n=66) being overweight and 57% (n=142) obese. The men’s anthropometric features were predominantly normal weight. This study has established poverty and unemployment as being the principal contributors for the food insecurity experienced by the populace and poor dietary intakes. The low food variety diet consumed by the respondents resulted in the DRI’s not achieved for most nutrients. The majority of the respondents only consumed two meals a day, as a coping strategy to reduce/prevent temporary food insecurity. Intervention strategies are needed to improve the food security status and dietary intake of the community members to overcome the crisis of malnutrition. / M

Informal settlement areas (often referred to as squatter settlements or squatter camps) exist in all provinces of South Africa. These areas are characterized by rapid and unplanned development. The result of these is that property boundaries in most of these areas are not surveyed. Since the plots do not have boundary beacons, the land parcel is not properly defined and therefore, the property cannot be registered in the user or owner's name. Consequently, ownership is not guaranteed. Thus there are no legal documents to prove the relationship between an individual and the property. This paper discusses the problems in the land reform process that can be attributed to the existence of informal settlements. The paper is based on a research carried out to assess the effect of informal settlements on the success of the land reform programme in South Africa. A review of literature on the land reform programme and its implementation plan was carried out. The research also included a literature review on informal settlements in relation to property ownership, cadastral surveying and land registration. Three informal settlements in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa were identified for study. These included Cato Manor and Umlazi section CC in Durban and Peace Valley 2 in Pietermaritzburg. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Thesis (MTech (Architectural Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Informal settlements are increasing in the cities of the global South in line with the rapid rate of urbanisation that is taking place in countries of this region. The growth of informal settlements in these countries has been exacerbated by factors that are unique to this region, factors such as scarcity of resources, colonial legacies and rapid urbanisation. Cape Town, a city that relates to the global South both in terms of geographical location and socio-economic context, has also seen a rapid growth of informal settlements, particularly in the last two decades. Like other cities in this region, Cape Town has ambitions of being regarded as a global city. Global cities are modelled on cities of the global North such as London, New York and Tokyo. Beyond the economic prestige that is generally associated with the cities of the global North, the imagery that they conjure up is also seen as an inspiration to be emulated by cities across the world, and it does not include informal settlements. As such, informal settlements generate a host of attitudes. Attitudes towards informal settlements don’t just emanate from political authorities, but emanate from across the spectrum that constitutes inhabitants and interest groups in these cities, including the creators of informal settlements themselves. These individuals and interests, according to their social standing and thus influence, have varying degrees of agency in the matters related to informal settlements. The aim in this study is to probe the effect of these attitudes on housing delivery to the poor. Attitudes not only influence the choice of what is regarded as the norm, but also how any entity that is regarded as the ‘other’ is evaluated. Almost without exception, cities that have been characterised by large numbers of informal settlements have attempted, without success, to eradicate informal settlements from their urban fabrics. An overarching assumption in this study is that the resilience of informal settlements says something about their necessity, and the failure by some, to recognise this necessity or the utilitarian value of informal settlements is influenced by attitudes. This research is done by first using a literature review to elucidate on: • the social condition, that is, the phenomenon of informal settlements, • the relevant theories applicable to the academic field the thesis is anchored in (architecture) and other social orders impacting architecture such as modernism, • the construct of attitudes and its impacts on beliefs, evaluations and perceptions on the affect of objects. The Joe Slovo informal settlement is then used as an analytic case study to investigate the effects of attitudes on the dynamics that have seen the site being transformed into what had been conceived as a prototype for transforming informal settlements to formal housing. The study shows that such transformations, although often carried out in the name of changing the lives of the inhabitants of informal settlements, do not necessarily entail them remaining at the site post its transformation. In the case of Joe Slovo, it actually resulted in a sizeable number of the original inhabitants being relocated to a new, less favourable site.

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is a strategy that can be adapted by low income households in Orange Farm to meet their food and nutritional requirements. The practice is a basis upon which poor families can enhance their incomes by producing part of their food needs, hence saving money for use on other livelihood obligations. This dissertation discusses the importance of urban and peri-urban agriculture as a method easily available to low income families residing in informal settlements to access food and incomes. Urban agriculture is examined in the context of poverty alleviation. A descriptive and quantitative assessment of the salient variables of the practice in the area is attempted in order to give an insight of the potential role the sector can play in eliminating poverty, enhancing incomes and creating employment. The study shows that participation in urban farming can impact significantly on poverty conditions and improve livelihoods. / MA (Development Studies)