South Africans favour merit and skills as the foundation for public sector appointment and procurement decisions, according to Social Research Foundation (SRF) polling. An SRF National Political Attitudes survey, conducted in June 2025 with a sample of 1 004 respondents and a margin of error of ±4%, found that a clear majority of South Africans believe the government should move beyond racial quotas.

Asked whether race should be a deciding factor in government hiring or promotions, only 25.6% of respondents supported the idea, while 69.8% said appointments should be made purely on merit and ability. The preference for merit-based appointments held across all race groups.

The same trend was apparent with regards to government procurement decisions. When asked if race should play a primary role in the awarding of government contracts, 70.4% of South Africans said that all state tenders should go to the best-qualified company, regardless of racial ownership. Just 24.1% were in favour of procurement decisions being made based on the racial makeup of the company involved.