Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma's approval levels in urban areas have dropped to their lowest point since the last general election, a survey revealed on Monday.
Zuma's approval rating in the middle two weeks of February this year stood at 41 percent, research company TNS South Africa said.
In February last year the rating stood at 55 percent and in August at 48 percent.
The proportion of people who did not approve of the way he was doing his job had risen to 51 percent.
This was the first time it had exceeded 50 percent, TNS said.
The survey was conducted among a sample of 2000 adults from the seven major metropolitan areas in the country.
TNS said approval levels differed by population group, with blacks having an approval level of 54 percent, whites 13 percent, coloureds 22 percent, and Indians/Asians 14 percent.
“These all represent drops averaging nine percentage points since August 2012,” the company said.
People whose home language was isiZulu had the highest ratings of 64 percent, down from 71 percent in August.
English and Afrikaans speakers averaged 17 percent, down from 24 percent, and other language groups averaged 47 percent, down from 55 percent.
Those surveyed were also asked if they thought ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa would make a good president.
TNS said a third of respondents said they “don't know”. However 41 percent believed he would, while 25 percent did not. - Sapa