In an attempt to find a solution to this limitation,this article has three objectives: firstly to evaluate the reliability of local relational poverty assessments; secondly to identify indicators that are relevant to both local and national contexts, therefore enabling both relational and absolutepoverty measurement to take place; and third to match local poverty assessments to national and international absolute poverty measures. This research uses data previously gathered at the Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF), an MFO in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, using PWR. In addition, an independent survey using the Poverty Assessment Tool (PAT)1 was conducted in October 2000 in which relative poverty scores were added which was matched to the PWR poverty scores(van de Ruit et al . 2001). Finally, absolute poverty levels of households with similar scores have been estimated using a national Income and Expenditure Survey (IES), also conducted in October 2000.