The middle class is a hot topic in media and policy circles. But how should the middle class be
defined, particularly in a country with high levels of inequality? Individuals and households
which fall in the actual middle of the income distribution in South Africa have a standard of
living well below a ‘middle‐class lifestyle’. Defining the middle class on the basis of the ‘actual
middle’ versus ‘relative affluence’ provides vastly different pictures. This necessitates great
care in using these conceptions, especially in policy design.