The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) has released the 2025 South African Reconciliation Barometer. The Barometer is the country’s longest-running public opinion survey on reconciliation, trust, social cohesion and national identity in post-apartheid South Africa.

Based on 2,006 nationally representative interviews conducted one year into the
Government of National Unity (GNU), the findings reveal a nation marked by democratic resilience but deep public fragility.

Despite the relatively peaceful transition to multi-party coalition governance following
the 2024 elections, public trust in political leaders and institutions remains extremely low. Only one-third of South Africans expressed confidence in the GNU’s effectiveness, while distrust in political parties was near universal—ranging from 50% to 54% across the four largest parties. Almost eight in ten South Africans still believe national leaders are untrustworthy and don’t care about ordinary citizens, almost unchanged since the last round of the survey in 2023.

At the same time, the Reconciliation Barometer found that South Africans were more supportive of the GNU policy and legislative agenda than political leaders. There is moderate majority approval for key government initiatives—including the National Health Insurance (61%), the National Dialogue (53%), and the Expropriation Act (46%)— suggesting that the public is open to the work of the GNU, even as they remain skeptical of those implementing it.

Economic hardship remains widespread and most South Africans view poverty and inequality as both the biggest barrier to reconciliation and the area of least progress since 1994. More than half of South Africans (54%) reported often going without a cash income in the past year, and one in four often experienced food insecurity. Measurable improvements in economic inclusion and household wellbeing will prove a critical test for the GNU going forward.

Social cohesion indicators show a complex picture. National identity remains strong overall, yet interpersonal trust is low, particularly between South Africans of different races and language groups.

The survey also captures public opinion on other definitive issues that have shaped the GNU’s first term:
• Apartheid-era prosecutions: 58% support additional resources for investigating unsolved apartheid-era crimes, with many cases being reopened in recent months.
• B-BBEE: over half agreed that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) has gone far enough and should be phased out.
• Israel–Palestine: half were unaware of the conflict; 41% of those who knew about the Israel-Palestine war approved of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice.
• Afrikaner asylum claims in the US: Nearly half (47%) disapproved of claims of persecution.

Reconciliation Barometer findings highlight some risks looking ahead to the 2026/27 local government elections. Local government remains one of the least trusted institutions in the country, eliciting confidence from only 26% of South Africans. Public optimism about the future is also low: many do not believe the situation in the country has improved substantially since 1994, nor do they anticipate positive future changes.

Despite these challenges, there remains a window of opportunity for the GNU to rebuild public confidence through changes such as greater accountability, more responsive institutions and effective delivery on the commitments made in its 2024 Statement of Intent.

The full report is available on this link: www.ijr.org.za/portfolio-items/south-african-reconciliation-barometer-survey-2025-report/?portfolioCats=24%2C21%2C46%2C22%2C23%2C249%2C20

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Kate Lefko-Everett
Senior Consultant: South African Reconciliation Barometer
kleverett@ijr.org.za
083 287 4089

Preston Govindasamy
Project Manager: Afrobarometer Southern Africa
PGovindasamy@ijr.org.za
073 081 6014