Poor, unhappy South Africans

Poor, unhappy South AfricansRIANA DE LANGEAs a nation, South Africans are now the unhappiest they have ever been since the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) began compiling its Happiness Index in 2012.This unhappiness is aggravated by various economic, political and social events, and the fact that our society is not necessarily willing to help and we cannot rely on each other to act ethically in a situation.The national misery is therefore certainly not only a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, writes senior researcher Jacolize Poalses and research director Professor Pierre Joubert in the BMR’s June 2022 report.Their research shows we have reached the highest levels of unhappiness in the current economic and political climate. They now stand at 74.3 and 77.4 points respectively, compared with 54.9 and 62 in 2014.The moods and attitudes of people are also significantly worse than they were 10 years ago. A negative state of mind and attitude shot up from 10.1 points to the current 25.2.Joubert and Poalses say that, given the sample of 1 836 participants, a difference of a few points is a very big change.Very few people were happy during Covid-19 and it is clear that South Africans have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels of satisfaction, say the researchers.In the latest survey, the BMR also measured trust and self-confidence.Knowing that one can rely on others is an important consideration in one’s own happiness, satisfaction with life and evaluation of personal wellbeing.However, this trust in others carries the risk of leaving oneself vulnerable and exposed to possible disappointment and betrayal.The overall level of trust in 27 different South African institutions stands at just 37.8 out of a possible 100 points.This shows that South Africans have no trust in national or provincial government, politicians and private institutions, and this affects their levels of happiness.-Fin24

Poor, unhappy South Africans

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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Poor, unhappy South Africans

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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