Determinants of wellbeing in a South African Township

Abstract

Life evaluations capture a reflective assessment on a person’s life or some specific aspects of it. Given the relative lack of empirical work on subjective wellbeing (SWB) amongst residents in South African townships, this paper seeks to fill that gap by exploring the determinants of SWB in a township of Kwakwatsi. This study is based on household data collected through a survey to investigate the factors that might affect wellbeing. A multiple regression model was used to determine the impact of selected socio-economic variables on wellbeing. The mean score for wellbeing was 12, indicating that on average people in the area are substantially dissatisfied with their lives. The age, educational attainment, employment status of the head, and the number of household members employed were found to exert a positive impact on wellbeing, whereas household size was negatively associated with wellbeing. Information provided through the study can be used when planning interventions relating to low income residents