Background of Sweet Home Farm

Sweet Home Farm is home to approximately 17,000 people, around 80% of these are Black South Africans, most of which are Xhosa persons, and around 17% are Coloured South Africans. It was established in 1992, but as a dumping site for rubble, not a township. Sweet Home Farm became populated by shack dwellers, and thus little formal housing exists in the settlement. Consequently, the settlement suffers through limited access to basic provisions such as drainage and sanitation, and no local access to social amenities such as schooling, hospitals, and policing. It is situated in Philippi East, and drastically lacks work opportunities, meaning around 80% of residents earn less than R3,200 per month.