Most Pressing Issues for South Africans
Polling Correspondent
– March 16, 2026
3 min read
Comment from The Common Sense: Perhaps every South African poll of the past twenty years has flagged unemployment as the top public policy concern. That is dead in line with South Africa’s 30%-plus unemployment rate. It is striking how low down the list of priorities populist issues such as climate change, land reform and racism rank. Note that rising prices are not a major concern, a reflection of the sound fiscal and monetary policies of the South African government.