Reasons for Delaying Marriage: Attitudes of Young, Educated Women in South Africa

Globally, marriage is on a decline and this can be traced to as early as the 1940s in South Africa. This paper explores marriage declines in South Africa, specifically the reasons why young, educated women are delaying marriage. It draws on a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with thirty Zulu-speaking female university students in Durban, South Africa. Women with higher education attainment opt for a later age of marriage in order to establish themselves financially, gain independence, build their careers and accrue some assets as well as to improve their families' living standards. The women in this study are highly aspirant and want to marry partners with attributes that are equally matched to them. The study suggests that it is important to focus on the attitudes of young, educated women in order to better understand the delay in marriage.