“Hearing the Voices of the Poor”: Assigning Poverty Lines on the Basis of Local Perceptions of Poverty. A Quantitative Analysis of Qualitative Data from Participatory Wealth Ranking in Rural South Africa

Abstract

Summary. — We applied a mixed-methods approach to participatory wealth ranking (PWR) to identify the number of poor households in eight villages of rural South Africa and describe how poor they are. We generated a household wealth index on the basis of the ranking process and statements made on standard of living. Descriptions from PWR identified households as ‘‘very poor,’’ ‘‘poor, but a bit better off,’’ or ‘‘doing OK.’’ Of 9,671 households, 3,113 (32.2%) could be considered ‘‘very poor’’ or ‘‘poor.’’ The paper presents a novel approach to wealth ranking that generates a rich appraisal of poverty.