A recent poll by the Social Research Foundation has found that only a third of South Africans support giving the state the authority to expropriate private property in the public interest. Sixty percent of respondents oppose the idea, while the remainder are unsure, highlighting widespread support for secure property rights.

Among black South Africans, the divide is narrower, with 48% opposed and the rest either supportive or undecided. Nationally, there is marked anxiety about policies perceived as threats to home ownership, small-scale farming, and retirement savings. Concerns about corruption, protracted legal disputes, and capital flight were prominent, while even supporters insisted that expropriation should involve swift, market-related compensation.

The findings reflect those of investor surveys, which consistently rank property rights alongside reliable electricity and efficient logistics as key pillars of economic confidence. Without secure title, banks cannot provide credit and households are unable to use property to fund education or launch businesses. For those seeking land reform, the lesson is that redistribution should be voluntary, transparent, and promote economic growth.

Programmes that subsidise first-time buyers, release serviced plots, or help convert communal titles enjoy much greater public approval than blanket expropriation. This suggests that policymakers advocating for a constitutional amendment may be out of step with public sentiment. Most South Africans support broadening property ownership, not diminishing it.

Viewed through the lens of policy reform, the polling highlights a demand for growth-oriented solutions and respect for legal rights. From an economic perspective, secure property title remains fundamental to household security and national prosperity.