Business Development in Emerging Markets: The Impact on spending behaviour of elderly caregivers of family members with HIV/AIDS in SA

Abstract

Business development in emerging markets, known as the “base of the pyramid”, is not without financial risk and a key concern in South African communities are the costs associated with HIV/AIDS. Due to the enormous demand for healthcare, many governments have opted for home-based care systems. Caregivers are mainly older women and their financial survival is critically important. We found that as the patient’s illness progressed: 1) the cultural norm ubuntu led the caregiver to increase spending on the patient and a decreased spending on themselves and 2) the social pressure of stigma led to a very dramatic drop in direct interpersonal assistance to the patient and an increase in spending on themselves. Their resulting coping strategies and implications for economic development are discussed.

Keywords - Emerging Markets, Cultural, Health Services