The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and perception of alcohol use in arural community in South Africa and to correlate this with socio-demographiccharacteristics, knowledge and risk perception of alcohol use. The sample included801, 385 men (48.1%) and 416 women (51.9%), in the age range from 15 to 60 years,and a mean (M=32.8, SD=15.0), selected by multi-cluster sampling. Results indicateusing a cut-off score of 8 for the AUDIT that 27% of all men and 6.4% of all womenwere found to be problem drinkers. Men had significantly higher AUDIT scores than women. For men lower risk perception and less religious involvement and for women lower risk perception, higher daily drinking limits and less religious involvement weremajor predictors for higher AUDIT scores. Community perceptions on alcohol usefound that alcoholics can be successfully treat, that no clear distinction between riskyand alcoholic drinking was made, accepting attitudes towards health advise ondrinking alcohol, interventions by sellers and servers of alcoholic beverages. Resultsare discussed in view of community interventions of harmful and hazardous alcoholuse.