Through the Free Basic Sanitation (FBSan) service policy, many informal settlements in South Africa have been provided with basic sanitation facilities. However, access to these facilities remains challenging for many residents. These challenges have compelled residents to adopt a range of alternative sanitation practices. Through interviews, observation and focus group discussions in five informal settlements in the Western Cape, South Africa, 383 randomly selected respondents identified factors that shape their sanitation practices and how these practices impact on access to, and sustainability of sanitation services in the policy context of the FBSan. Residents' sanitation practices include the use of buckets, porta-potties, plastic bags, and existing facilities within and outside their settlements for either defecating or discharging the bucket contents and open defecation. These sanitation practices are informed by factors including safety concerns, poor conditions of the facilities, lack of privacy and choice. These findings suggest that the provision of facilities through the FBSan policy should consider the multiple and varied needs of residents, practices and conditions of their settlements prior to the selection and deployment of facilities to informal settlements in South Africa.

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通过免费的基本卫生设施服务政策，南非的许多非正式住区都获得了基本的卫生设施。但是，对于许多居民而言，使用这些设施仍然是一项挑战。这些挑战迫使居民采取一系列替代性卫生措施。通过在南非西开普的五个非正式住区中进行的访谈，观察和焦点小组讨论，从383名随机选择的受访者中发现了影响其卫生习惯的因素，以及这些习惯如何影响卫生政策的获取和可持续性。 FBSan。居民的卫生习惯包括使用水桶，便盆，塑料袋，以及在定居点之内和之外的现有设施，用于排便或排出桶内物品和露天排便。这些环境卫生措施的考虑因素包括安全问题，设施条件恶劣，缺乏隐私和选择。这些发现表明，通过FBSan政策提供设施应在选择和部署南非非正式住区之前，考虑居民的多种需求，住区的做法和条件。

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