Social Positioning of Older Persons in Rural South Africa: Change or Stability?

The South African context challenges the conventional categorisation of older persons as dependent after a certain age. The concurrence of old-age pensions, high unemployment, high HIV prevalence, and frailty related to ageing necessitate a more dynamic approach to understanding older persons’ social positioning. We examine the extent of change in older persons’ social positioning within their households and the correlates of change in a rural community in South Africa. Using data from the Agincourt Health and socio-Demographic Surveillance System and a new typology of older persons’ social positioning based on living arrangements, we (1) describe older persons’ living arrangements in two time periods; (2) calculate transition probabilities of older persons’ changing living arrangements over time; (3) identify possible drivers of change. Results show that while older persons experience stability in living arrangements over time, this stability is more prevalent among those who start in productive roles. Moreover, those who change arrangements are likely to move into productive roles. Taken together, these findings suggest that older South Africans fulfil productive roles in households while simultaneously experiencing ageing-related frailty and diminished labour capacity. These findings underscore the importance of considering ageing as both an individual and a relational process, with implications for older persons and their families.