South Africa today holds what many would describe as a paradox. On the surface, fault lines appear deep — race, political allegiance, and socio-economic divides are routinely highlighted by politicians and in the media. But as this column argued last week, beneath that surface runs a powerful current of shared values and trust that binds ordinary South Africans and offers a foundation for national success. It is therefore the responsibility of influential institutions — media, business, civil society, and political organisations — to do more to foreground that countervailing narrative, because it matters to the country’s future.

One of South Africa’s greatest hidden strengths is the extraordinary extent of common ground that exists across that diversity. Poll after poll shows that South Africans of different class, socio-economic, geographical, racial, and political backgrounds give very similar answers to key questions about values and public policy. That runs counter to lazy clichés that paint our people as fundamentally at odds with each other.

One striking example comes from a recent poll conducted by the Social Research Foundation and The Common Sense, where respondents were asked whether black economic empowerment policy should be reformed to prioritise poverty rather than race. A clear majority of both African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) voters agreed on the need for that.

Whether such a reform would be wise or not is not the point. The primary point is that if the balance on public opinion could find common ground on such a controversial idea, there is little that common ground could not be found on.

Similarly, when asked whether, in the event no party wins a majority in a municipality, the ANC and DA should form a governing pact, 67% of black voters and 62% of white voters agreed.

That, as this column argued last week, shows trust — and trust cannot happen if you do not, at some deep level, recognise that the person across the aisle or the street from you is fundamentally good.

Put that question in a different context: would Arabs and Israelis easily agree to a similar power-sharing agreement? Likely not. Would Republicans and Democrats? Again, not easily. Imagine the difficulty that ensues when large groups of people trying to live in the same society struggle to see that the “others” are fundamentally good.

But time and again, in times of crisis or opportunity, South Africans show that they are far more aligned than they are often given credit for.

Beyond societal cohesion, South Africa holds other “cards” that, if well played, can steer the country toward broad-based prosperity — as this column set out two weeks ago.

One of these is our political system. Our democracy works. In the last 30-odd years, it has undergone two successful transitions without violence, proving that when elites fail, ordinary people peacefully demand change through the ballot box. That sets South Africa apart from many emerging markets where the fall of elites translates into violence and economic collapse.

Another advantage is the nature of voter behaviour itself.

South Africans tend to vote based on material circumstances rather than ideology or radicalism. This means that improving people’s lived conditions — jobs, services, opportunities — is not only the right policy goal but is electorally pivotal.

When growth and improvements in services were delivered in the decade after 1994, ANC support rose and political violence halved. That experience shows that responsive governance that delivers tangible benefits can unify citizens and strengthen democratic legitimacy.

Public opinion is another card in South Africa’s hand.

Around eight in ten South Africans agree on pragmatic steps to grow the economy, including shoring up property rights, reforming labour laws to boost employment, and reframing empowerment policy to focus on socio-economic disadvantage and need. That broad centrist and pragmatic consensus offers policymakers a clear signal of what citizens want and provides cover for reforms.

South Africa also does not face an energy cap on growth.

By leveraging existing power stations and grid infrastructure, the economy could potentially grow at the average rate of its emerging market peers without building new capacity, if guided by sound policy rather than external pressures. And our geopolitical position offers strategic opportunities for trade and investment that many nations lack.

All of these positive forces — shared values, a resilient democratic system, pragmatic public opinion, latent economic capacity, and geopolitical advantage — are real. But they are underappreciated in public discourse. That is why influential institutions must work harder to stress these countervailing narratives. Highlighting the unity beneath our diversity, the pragmatic consensus among citizens, and the structural opportunities before us can help shift the national conversation away from despair and toward agency and optimism. South Africans have more in common than many believe. If that shared foundation is recognised and amplified by media, business, and civil society, it could become a powerful catalyst for realising the country’s potential.

To a very great extent, this newspaper was established to do that.