Most survey respondents were women, since Zambuko loans primarily to women. In 1999, the respondents on average were 41 years old, with eight years of education. The majority were married, and 16 percent were widowed. Two-thirds of the respondents’ households were poor, measured by global standards for determining per capita, per day income and taking into account purchase power parity.

In 1997, 60 percent of the client respondents were on their first loan. After completion of that loan, approximately half of the 1997 clients took an additional loan. The analysis of the client respondents included both those who took an additional loan and those who had left the program. The average sum of all loans taken by the HIV-affected clients—Z$5,821—did not differ significantly from that of the other clients, Z$6,435.

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