Table 2.

Main themes and subthemes derived from thematic analysis

Main themes	Subthemes
Perception of informed consent	General perception of participants of informed consent, the process of consenting to research/treatment, the regulations of South Africa on informed consent
Perception of informed consent in Africa	Application of informed consent in African communities, challenges in the application of informed consent in African communities
Perception of the application of the principle of respect for autonomy	The status of applying the principle of autonomy, the challenges in applying the principle of autonomy, the conflict between individual versus community decision making
Perspective of the impact of education on the informed consent process	Lack of Western education, the ability to comprehend the informed consent process, and the ability to make an informed decision
Perspective of the impact of poverty on the informed consent process	Lack of proper financial structure to get access to Western education, vulnerability, therapeutic misconception