Table 1: Participants’ demographic information.

Pseudonym	Age	Ethnicity	Relationship status	Children (age in years)	Persons in house	Rooms in house	Highest school level	Employment status	Income p/m
Anna	27	Coloured	Boyfriend of 3 years	1 (9)	8	3 (Shares a room with 3 other people)	Gr. 11	Sales clerk	R2945
Chenille	47	Coloured	Boyfriend of 6 months	2 (27 & son, deceased 2005)	2	2 (RDP house. Shares a room with her daughter.)	Gr. 10	Cashier	R1200
Christine	27	Coloured	Boyfriend of 7 years	3 (11, 6, 9-months) and foster child/nephew (5)	8	2 (RDP house. Shares a room with 5 other people.)	Gr. 8	Farm-labourer	R1900
Elizabeth	69	White	Single (widower of 30 years)	3 (33, 36 & son, deceased 1978)	1	3	Matric	Unemployed	R2000
Twela	38	Coloured	Boyfriend of 2 years	1 (13)	10	4 (Shares a room with her son.)	Matric	Shop attendant	R2500
Nina	34	Coloured	Marital separation for past 9 months	3 (13, 10, 8)	5	3 (Sleeps on a couch in the living room/kitchen.)	Gr. 8	Unemployed	R0 – +/-R400
Evergreen	51	Coloured	Second husband of 8 years	2 (24, 30)	2	2 (RDP house. Shares a room with her husband.)	Matric	Unemployed	R1140 (Disability grant)
Linkie	27	Coloured	Girlfriend of 10 months	1 (3)	7	4 (Shares a room with 3 other people.)	Matric	Unemployed	R260 (Child support grant)
Tracey	32	Coloured	Single	1 (9), Tracey was 8 months pregnant at time of interview	8	3 (Shares a room with 4 other people.)	Gr.11	Farm labourer	R1200
Melissa	36	Black	Husband of 15 years	3 (15, 10, 6)	4	2 (Shares a room with 3 other people.)	Gr. 7	Unemployed	R800 (of which R400 given to her mother)

“Rooms in house” indicates the total number of rooms in the house (kitchen, living-room, bedrooms) but excludes the bathroom. All participants had either one bathroom or an out-house which functioned as such.

All participants had at least one electricity/power point in their home.

All participants cited “Christian” as their religious affiliation. All but three claimed that they were “actively involved” in their local church.