AIDS is the leading cause of death in South Africa, yet little is known about the bereavement experiences of those who have lost loved ones to AIDS in this country. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 bereaved individuals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and four themes emerged that had to do with the impact of AIDS-related loss on their daily lives: the constant struggle to survive took priority over grief, the economic impact of the loss on the household, the burden on women in caring for the sick and dealing with loss, and concerns about the welfare of children. Further research is needed to explore how social, political, and economic factors influence AIDS-related bereavement in the South African context and bereavement interventions need to be developed that move beyond exclusive reliance on individual or group counseling approaches to address these factors.
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