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What makes South Africans believe the country is on the right track? What determines whether they have confidence in South Africa’s future? Money.
Research done by the South African Institute of Race Relations shows that the higher your disposable income, the more confidence you have in the country’s future.
The institute set out to determine what made people think that the government was successful – what drove people’s answers to the question whether they had confidence in the country’s future, said chief executive of the institute, Dr Frans Cronje.
“We found there is a direct correlation between people’s responses and their disposable income.”
South Africans believed things were going well and that they had a future here if they felt they were getting richer and have money to spend, Cronje said.
He said the typical South African desired a middle-class lifestyle in a city even more than land reform and promises of better service or affirmative action.
“They want to work for a good company, for their children to go to good schools and universities. They want two cars, two dogs, white picket fences – that is the South African dream.”
If people have these, they believe things are going well and they have hope for the future.
The data was obtained last year through a representative poll of more than 2500 South Africans from across the country.
An analysis of the figures showed how South Africans’ confidence in the country had decreased or increased since 2000, roughly in line with the increase or decrease in their disposable income.
South Africans’ confidence reached its lowest point in the midst of the global economic crisis in 2009.
For South Africans’ disposable income to increase, economic growth was needed, Cronje said.
For this to happen, he said, the government would have to pull up its socks. South Africa’s economy could not afford debacles like last year’s visa disaster or Nenegate.
If the government wanted people to have faith in South Africa and the country’s future, it should do everything within its control to grow the economy, Cronje said.
The government kept promising land reform and better service delivery and then became frustrated if this did not lead to increased support.
“The problem is that the government’s focus is wrong. The government should rather focus on growing the economy so people’s disposable income will increase. Then people’s confidence in the country and the government will increase.” – Netwerk24
