Exploring waste management practices among backyard dwellers in Fisantekraal, South Africa

Abstract

Waste management in South Africa remains a challenge, particularly for backyard dwellers who are excluded from formal waste services. While existing studies focus on housing and social vulnerabilities, little research examines their waste management practices. This article fills this gap by arguing that backyard waste challenges stem from structural exclusions rather than individual negligence. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire survey of 284 backyard dwellers in Fisantekraal. Using an Urban Political Ecology (UPE) lens, the study highlights systemic inequities in urban waste governance. Although backyard dwellers receive regular weekly municipal waste collection, waste leakages persist, with illegal dumping in open spaces, roads and informal sites. Findings also reveal a sanitation divide and micro-governance by landlords who restrict bin access, all of which reflects infrastructural liminality in backyard waste management.