New poll shows that a worrying number of people believe race determines intelligence
According to a new poll, more than half of all South Africans believe some race groups are more intelligent than others.
A new poll commissioned by City Press and conducted by Plus 94 Research reveals that more than half of all South Africans believe some race groups are more intelligent than others.
The poll found that almost two-thirds (65%) of black people believe this, while more than half of white people (54%) agree. The poll also found that more than half of black respondents felt they had been discriminated against by other black people over the last year. The majority of respondents who felt this way were between the ages of 25 and 34.
Business Tech noted that Plus 4 did similar research in 2006 where it found that 24% of respondents had felt discriminated against based on their race. In 2016, that figure sits at 27%.
Black respondents were more attuned to racism, according to researchers, and identified xenophobia and tribalism as part of general realm of discriminatory action and racism.
Coloured people, meanwhile, still felt that they were not being recognised with one respondent saying: “Before, we were not white enough and now we feel we are not black enough.” White respondents felt that they were being punished for apartheid.
Researchers noted that people who were more affluent were less likely to feel the impact of racism. All respondents however agree that there is a lack of insight into other cultures and race groups.
Plus 94 Research polled 1 635 demographically representative South Africans, both men and women, from all nine provinces.
Provincially, the data was broken down across three main areas:
- Did respondents hold the belief that some races were smarter than others
- Has racial discrimination was experienced
- How racial discrimination made respondents feel (small and angry)
This is how the percentages were broken down per province according to the above:
| Province | % who believe some races are smarter than others |
| Free State | 73% |
| Mpumalanga | 69% |
| Limpopo | 67% |
| North West | 65% |
| Northern Cape | 63% |
| South Africa | 61% |
| Gauteng | 60% |
| Eastern Cape | 58% |
| KwaZulu Natal | 57% |
| Western Cape | 54% |
| Province | % who experienced racism |
| Gauteng | 34% |
| Northern Cape | 33% |
| KwaZulu Natal | 29% |
| Eastern Cape | 27% |
| South Africa | 27% |
| Free State | 25% |
| North West | 24% |
| Limpopo | 23% |
| Mpumalanga | 22% |
| Western Cape | 20% |
| Provinces | % who were left feeling angry |
| Northern Cape | 88% |
| KwaZulu Natal | 86% |
| Mpumalanga | 82% |
| Western Cape | 81% |
| Eastern Cape | 80% |
| North West | 80% |
| South Africa | 78% |
| Limpopo | 76% |
| Gauteng | 73% |
| Free State | 64% |
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