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White voters in South Africa remain solidly behind the Democratic Alliance (DA), according to polls conducted in July by The Common Sense in conjunction with the Social Research Foundation*.

The polls asked registered voters who they would vote for if an election were held “today”.

Among white voters, 83% said they would vote for the DA and 13% the Freedom Front Plus (FF+).

Fractional parties and those polling within the margin of error of the survey held the balance of the vote.

But race was not the determinant of voter behaviour. Beneath the racial data rested a more indicative socio-economic marker.

Among university graduates and postgraduates, around 60% of respondents said they would vote for the DA.

Among suburban voters, the number was 64%.

Among South Africans earning over R20 000 a month, the number was between 50% and 60%.

The data are set out in the chart below.

Middle-class status, regardless of race, is becoming a better predictor for voting behaviour. The Common Sense has previously shown, for example, how 13% of black voters intend to vote for the DA, which is a figure not far off this newspaper’s assessments of the size of the established middle class.

* The Social Research Foundation’s Q2 2026 Market Survey was conducted in conjunction with The Common Sense and carried out by Victory Research among 2 214 registered voters between 8 and 31 July 2026 using telephonic CATI interviews. National results are based on the full sample of 2 214 respondents. Metro results are based on samples of 504 respondents in Johannesburg, 508 in Tshwane, and 500 in eThekwini. A single frame random digit dialling design was used, drawing from all possible South African mobile numbers to ensure that every number had an equal probability of selection. National SIM card penetration exceeds 250.0%, more than 90.0% of adults own a phone, and mobile networks cover 99.8% of the population, providing universal practical coverage. The samples were fully weighted to match the relevant registered voter populations across all key demographics, including language, age, race, gender, education, income, and urban or rural location. Turnout modelling assigned each respondent a probability of voting based on questions measuring their likelihood of participation, with the primary turnout model set at 56.0%. The national results carry a margin of error of 2.1% at a 95.0% confidence level, while the Johannesburg, Tshwane, and eThekwini results each carry a margin of error of 4.4%. The survey has a design effect of 3.7938.