A national survey by the Social Research Foundation in 2025, with a sample of 805 respondents and a margin of error of ±5%, found that 80.9% said the right to free speech is “very important” to them personally. When combined with those who said it is “quite important,” the figure rises to 92.8%, indicating near universal attachment to freedom of expression.

Yet, when asked what free speech should mean in practice, 82.1% said it should not extend to causing offence to others, while only 17.3% supported an unrestricted right that includes offensive speech. That consensus suggests South Africans value liberty but equally emphasise protecting dignity and social harmony in a society scarred by racial divisions.