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South Africa is among the less politically polarised countries in the world, according to the latest data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, an international research programme based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Despite South Africa's history of racial division, intense political competition, and often confrontational political rhetoric, the country records substantially lower levels of political polarisation than the United States (US), Brazil, India, France, and Germany. The findings suggest that ordinary South Africans are considerably more tolerant of political differences than is often assumed.

V-Dem measures political polarisation by assessing the extent to which society is divided into antagonistic political camps. Its researchers are interested in whether political differences damage ordinary social relationships, including those involving family, friends, colleagues, and community organisations. The measure asks whether supporters of opposing political camps continue to interact in a friendly manner or whether political differences make such interactions hostile. It therefore distinguishes between a society in which people disagree strongly about politics and one in which those disagreements make people socially antagonistic towards one another.

The indicator is based on assessments by country experts rather than public opinion surveys. Experts assess political polarisation across five categories, assigning a score to each category. These range from zero, where supporters of opposing political camps interact amicably, to four, where their interactions are hostile. V-Dem then uses a statistical model to combine these assessments into a standardised measure that permits comparisons between countries and over time. The resulting scores can be negative, with higher values indicating greater polarisation.

According to the latest data, covering 2025, South Africa records a political polarisation score of -0.13, below the global average of 0.29. Among 172 countries assessed in the international comparison, South Africa occupies 100th position when ordered from most to least politically polarised. The US records a score of 2.30, Brazil 3.22, India 2.08, France 1.43, and Germany 0.19. South Africa is therefore substantially less politically polarised than several of the world’s largest democracies, although its score is higher than those of the United Kingdom at -0.28, Canada at -0.40, Australia at -1.16, and Botswana at -1.90.

South Africa’s low levels of political polarisation are also the product of a remarkable historical transformation. In 1990, during the final years of apartheid, the country’s score stood at 2.20, reflecting the deep political antagonism of that period. Following the democratic transition, political polarisation declined dramatically, reaching -0.40 in 1999. The subsequent period saw a modest increase, with the score reaching 0.01 in 2010, 0.15 in 2015, and 0.32 in 2020. Since then, however, polarisation has declined again, reaching -0.13 in both 2024 and 2025.

The chart below shows South Africa’s score since 1990 against the world’s average score and selected other countries.

The more recent decline is particularly interesting given the changes taking place in South African politics. The African National Congress (ANC) has lost its parliamentary majority, new political parties have emerged, and electoral competition has intensified. Yet these developments have not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in social antagonism. Political parties may be competing more fiercely for power, but that competition has not translated into the levels of hostility between ordinary citizens seen in several other democracies.

There is considerable evidence from domestic public opinion research that supports this broader picture of South African society. Polling by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) in March 2026 found that 89% of South Africans agreed that the country’s different racial communities need one another for progress and that there should be full opportunities for people of all colours, up from 84% in 2025. The same survey found that 76% believed better education and more jobs would steadily reduce racial inequality, while 70% agreed that politicians use racism and colonialism to excuse their failures.

Research conducted by the Social Research Foundation (SRF) in conjunction with The Common Sense points in a similar direction. Polling in July 2026 found that 72% of respondents believed South Africa would be worse off if all white South Africans left the country, compared with just 17% who believed it would be better off. Large majorities of black South Africans, including ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe Party supporters, held the view that the country would be worse off. Earlier SRF polling also found similar assessments of the country’s political and economic direction across racial groups. In March 2026, three-quarters of black South Africans, 73% of coloured South Africans, and 74% of white South Africans believed the country was heading in the wrong direction.

These findings suggest that South Africans have much more in common than the country’s political rhetoric often implies. They share frustrations about the direction of the country, recognise their mutual dependence, and overwhelmingly favour cooperation and opportunities for improvement. South Africa continues to have political disagreements, but that should not be confused with widespread hostility between ordinary citizens. The V-Dem findings, together with the IRR and SRF polling, point to a society in which people get along well despite their political differences. That is an important national advantage, and one that deserves much more recognition.