Publications
Partners
Most South African adults would prefer to donate to charity if they received a windfall of R1 million – this is according to a survey undertaken by the Social Research Foundation (SRF), which telephonically interviewed 3 200 randomly selected registered voters.
The survey asked: “What would you do if you were given R1 million?”
Among all the registered voters, the SRF found the top five choices for what they would spend the money on, in order, were: give to charity, pay for children’s education, start a business in South Africa, donate to church and pay off debt.
Those voters who preferred to be philanthropists numbered 20.7%. Coming close were those who would secure their children’s future through education at 20.3%, while 16.8% would become entrepreneurs.
READ: Limpopo Premier Mathabatha's favoured chief loses appeal
The lowest number – 9.8% – would donate to their church, and 9.15% would use their windfall to settle their debts.
“Three key findings stood out from the data,” the survey found.
“The first was that the data are at odds with the perception that South Africans are reckless spenders and reveal a very strong sense of pragmatic spending priorities across all demographic breakdowns.”
The second finding was that people in poorer communities had an extraordinary generosity of spirit, which supports the sometimes-derided idea of an ubuntu-style value system within lower-income communities.
READ: Tshwane councillors should not be persecuted for exercising their democratic right – EFF
“The third was that poorer communities contain quite high levels of nascent entrepreneurial inclination,” the report found.
By party affiliation, those who would give their money to charity were ANC voters at 27%. EFF voters (at 22%) would pay for their children’s education and start a business. The majority of DA voters (21%) would pay off their debts.
ANC voters led the group that would donate to church (13%).
By racial classification, the majority of black people, 24%, would donate to charity; 22% of them would pay for their children’s education; and 20% of them would start a business.
READ: Manufacturing nosedives because of increased load shedding and low activity
Indian people, at 24%, would pay off their debt and give to charity (23%). Twenty-three percent of coloured people would pay off their debts. Few white people would start a business (4%), donate to church (9%) and give to charity (7%).
The survey indicates that very few university graduates would give to charity (5%) and donate to church (8%). However, they would pay for their children’s education (25%). The majority of those without formal schooling would donate to church (36%) and support charity (36%).
The poorest of the poor, earning about R2 000 a month, would pay off their debt (29%), give to charity (26%) and start a business (24%).
