Policy Preferences for a Future Coalition Government - BEE
This report investigates the support amongst registered voters towards race-based hiring, procurement and economic policies. It is the first of four reports that examine support or opposition to various policy reforms that a future South African coalition government might adopt. The report is based on a survey of 1 835 demographically and geographically representative registered voters conducted by the Foundation during April of 2024. That survey had a margin of error of 2.2%. The way in which support or opposition to potential policy reforms was tested was by putting a series of statements about opposing policy reforms to survey respondents. The respondents were asked to say which of the opposing statements they agreed with and how strongly they agreed or disagreed.
With which of the following two statements do you agree: 'A future coalition government makes raced-based appointment rules stricter, so that only black people can be appointed as government officials.' OR 'A future coalition government gets rid of race-based appointments so that all government officials are appointed only on merit.'
First statement vs second statement
With which of the following two statements do you agree: 'A future coalition government makes race-based procurement rules stricter, so that only black-owned companies can win government tenders.' OR 'A future coalition government gets rid of race-based procurement policies in the public service so that all tenders are issued only on merit.'
First statement vs second statement
With which of the following two statements do you agree: 'A future coalition government restricts what kind of business companies that are not majority black-owned are able to conduct and with whom.' OR 'A future coalition government allows any business to operate freely, regardless of whether it is black or white-owned, so long as it pays tax and helps creates employment.'
First statement vs second statement
TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS
The data indicates that voter opinion is open to changes in how empowerment policy might be practiced by a future South African government. The data echoes past Foundation survey findings that adherence to strictly race-based policy is to some extent an elite fixation in South Africa and that lower socio-economic strata have drawn so little benefit from such policies whilst paying a very heavy price for state service delivery failures that the balance of public opinion would welcome alternative policies that prioritise merit above race.
