Black voters in KwaZulu-Natal are split on the question of whether the best post-apartheid president for the province was Nelson Mandela or Jacob Zuma.

This insight comes from a survey of 2 434 registered voters in KwaZulu-Natal conducted by the Social Research Foundation in September 2023.

In that survey a question was put to participants: “Which of the following South African presidents do you think was or has been best for the province of KwaZulu-Natal? Please choose one.” The options were: Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, Jacob Zuma, and Cyril Ramaphosa.

Amongst all KwaZulu-Natal voters 47% chose Mandela, 8% chose Mbeki, 1% chose Motlanthe, 37% chose Zuma, and 4% chose Ramaphosa.

When broken down by race 43% of black voters in KwaZulu-Natal chose Mandela, 6% chose Mbeki, 1% chose Motlanthe, 43% chose Zuma, and 4% chose Ramaphosa.

Amongst Indian KwaZulu-Natal voters 75% chose Mandela, 11% chose Mbeki, 5% chose Motlanthe, 1% chose Zuma, and none chose Ramaphosa.

Amongst white voters in KwaZulu-Natal 64% chose Mandela, 19% chose Mbeki, 2% chose Motlanthe, 7% chose Zuma, and 9% chose Ramaphosa.