Cognitive-behavioral treatments for depression typically address both behavioral (e.g., activation) and cognitive (e.g., rumination) components, and consequently improve quality of life (QOL) and function in high-resource set-tings. However, little is known about the cross-cultural applicability and relative contribution of these components to depression symptom severity, QOL, and functional impairment in South Africa and other resource-limited glo-bal settings with high HIV prevalence rates.Persons with HIV (N = 274) from a peri-urban community outside Cape Town, South Africa, were administered mul-tiple measures of depression (Hamilton Depression Scale, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, South African Depression Scale), cognitive and behavioral com-ponents related to depression (Ruminative Response Scale, Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale), and measures of QOL and functioning (Sheehan Disability Scale, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Scale-Short Form). Multiple linear regression models were fit to assess the rel-ative contribution of behavioral and cognitive components to depression severity, QOL, and functional impairment in this population.Models accounting for age and sex revealed that lower levels of behavioral activation (BA) were significantly asso-ciated with all measures of depression, as well as with QOL and functional impairment (all ps < .01). Rumination was associated with all measures of depression (all ps < .01), but not with QOL or functional impairment.The consistent and unique association of BA with depres-sion, QOL, and functional impairment bolsters its impor-tance as a treatment target for this population.