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Most South Africans believe that local companies should explore for oil and gas.

This is according to new polling, which was conducted by the Social Research Foundation, in conjunction with The Common Sense, in September and October.

The following was put to people: “Do you think South African companies should be allowed to explore for oil and gas deposits if these deposits help South Africa produce its own oil?”

They could say they fully supported it, or they supported it but with careful regulation, or they did not support it.

The chart below shows the views of all voters, black and white voters, and African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) voters.

There were strong majorities for local companies exploring for oil and gas.

Eighty-eight percent of all voters supported it, 91% of black voters, and 72% of white voters.

An overwhelming majority of ANC voters supported local companies exploring for oil and gas, with 96% of ANC voters saying they believed this should be the case. Ninety percent of DA voters supported it, with 74% of MKP voters supporting it.

There is clearly considerable common ground among South Africans on the development of the country’s oil and gas resources, cutting across racial and political divides, and these policies would have broad public support. The Common Sense has shown how if South Africa exploited its oil and gas resources it would be one of the 20 biggest oil producers in the world – this would also at least double South Africa’s economic growth, which would, in turn, significantly increase the number of people employed.