Johannesburg - A survey conducted last year by an independent research company has found that “South Africans are confident of a happy future for all races”.
This is according to market research company Ipsos, who interviewed a total of 3 617 randomly chosen adult South Africans in their homes and home languages, in September and October.
In a statement, the company said: “It is worth highlighting that the majority of South Africans, as shown in this data, are optimistic about a happy future for all of us, regardless of the current issues.”
After their findings revealed that more than two-thirds of adult South Africans (68 percent) of the people interviewed thought the “rainbow nation” would have a happy future, Ipsos spoke up against the recent racial social media furores.
“With the recent media coverage of expressions of racism on social media, it is easy to believe we are slipping back into the habits that many South Africans have worked so hard to overcome,” said Mari Harris, director of Ipsos public affairs. They found the younger generation more optimistic.
“When looking across the population, it is clear that this positive sentiment is far more pronounced among the younger generation - which indicates a possible positive development in the future. However, it must also be mentioned that young people across the world are generally more positive than older generations.”
The province that was least optimistic about race was the Western Cape, while Mpumalanga was most positive.
“Looking across the provinces, Mpumalanga shows the highest levels of optimism, with 83 percent believing in a happy future for all races in South Africa. The Western Cape shows the lowest degree of confidence with 49 percent. “Confidence levels in Gauteng are slightly below those of the total population at 64 percent,” Ipsos wrote.
The Star
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