To investigate the descriptive nature of objectively-measured, free-living sleep quantity and quality, and the relationship to adiposity, in a rural African setting in 145 adults (≥ 40 years, female: n = 104, male: n = 41). Wrist-mounted, triaxial accelerometry data was collected over 9 days. Measures of sleep quantity and quality, and physical activity were extracted from valid minute-by-minute data. Adiposity indices were body-mass-index, waist circumference and conicity index. Self-reported data included behavioural, health and socio-demographic variables. Community consultation followed the quantitative data analyses, for validation and interpretation of findings.