Most South Africans believe that race-based organisations like the Black Management Forum serve to perpetuate racial division. The same sentiment holds if similar white race-based organisations were to exist. This is according to a survey of 1 004 South Africans conducted by the Social Research Foundation in June 2025.

In the survey, participants were asked two questions. The first was: “In South Africa today, there are a number of race-based organisations, most of them for black South Africans, like the Black Management Forum. Which of the following two comes closest to your views: They are good and necessary OR They perpetuate racial division?” The second question asked: “If white South Africans formed race-based organisations like the White Management Forum, what would your position on organisations like this be?”

For the first question, among all South Africans, 44% said these organisations are good and necessary, while 51% believed they perpetuate racial division. When broken down by race, 49% of black South Africans, 36% of coloured South Africans, and 26% of white South Africans saw these organisations as good and necessary. At the same time, 48% of black South Africans, 55% of coloured South Africans, and 61% of white South Africans said they perpetuate racial division.

On the second question, 31% of all respondents said white race-based organisations would be good and necessary, while 62% said they would perpetuate racial division. Looking at the breakdown, 30% of black South Africans, 43% of coloured South Africans, and 23% of white South Africans thought they would be good and necessary. However, 64% of black South Africans, 48% of coloured South Africans, and 65% of white South Africans said such organisations would perpetuate racial division.