South Africans reject racial distractions, latest IRR polling shows

The results of a new nationally representative opinion survey by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) implicitly repudiate the stoking of racial divisions by political interests for their own ends.

The findings reveal that ordinary South Africans have long moved beyond the historical politics of race and are united in their focus on solving the country’s real challenges: jobs, corruption, and crime.

In Pro-Growth or Pro-Poverty: Findings of IRR Polling 2025, Report 3: Race and Race Relations in South Africa as of 2025, the IRR is set to publish findings from a representative survey in which respondents were asked to name their two most pressing national concerns.

The full IRR polling report will be released on 26 November through an online webinar in which Hermann Pretorius, IRR Head of Strategic Communications and author of the IRR’s 2025 polling reports, will present the complete findings on the state of race relations in South Africa as of 2025. Details of the webinar will be announced soon.

The results indicate conclusively that socio-economic frustrations and aspirations far outweigh identity-based grievance: 38% of South Africans identified jobs as their top priority, followed by corruption (10%) and crime (9%). By contrast, only 2% mentioned racism and 4% cited Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). These patterns were consistent across all racial groups, a striking confirmation that the overwhelming majority of South Africans share a deracialised, pragmatic set of national priorities.

Says Pretorius: “While powerful political interests cling to race-based narratives to justify their own power and privilege, South Africans continue to show inherent moderation and pragmatism on shared hopes and fears. They want an end to corruption, crime, and joblessness, not another decade wasted on apartheid-era racial engineering that divides and impoverishes. These findings are a sharp warning to those who think they can hijack the national debate for narrow ideological gain: the country’s people are far more moderate, united, and practical than its politicians.”

Pretorius concludes that the results demonstrate the urgent need for replacing divisive race-based policy with a pro-growth, opportunity-driven agenda that reflects the real concerns of South Africans.

Media contact: Hermann Pretorius IRR Head of Strategic Communications Tel: 079 875 4290 Email: hermann@irr.org.za

Media enquiries:

Anneke Burns

IRR Public Relations

+27 71 423 0079