Out of the 28 participating countries in the survey, South Africa was one of the six deemed severely polarised, with 61% of South Africans agreeing the country is divided. Common among participants though are fears stemming from losing jobs (96%), rising inflation (82%), food shortages (83%), and energy shortages (82%).

“Our data shows that South Africans are increasingly turning to businesses as trusted partners in addressing contentious societal issues. This emphasizes the responsibility of businesses to leverage the power of their brands to create a shared identity, celebrating what brings us together and emphasizing our common interests to strengthen the social fabric,” said Karena Crerar, CEO for Edelman Africa.

These expectations provide both opportunities and heightened risks for businesses, especially considering that at least half of South Africans believe business is not doing enough to address significant societal issues.

Through the survey, South Africans issued a clarion call for CEOs to take a public stand on issues like treatment of employees, discrimination, climate change, the wealth gap, and immigration. They encourage constructive action and believe that a working partnership between government and business would be six times more likely to achieve optimal results than if business works alone.

“Businesses have a comparative advantage to inform debate and deliver solutions across various societal issues. Leveraging the influence held by business for the greater good is not only about creating direct, societal change – it’s also integral to maintaining and continuing to build trust from within. This can be achieved by building consensus and collaborating on policies and standards to deliver results that push us toward a more just, secure, and thriving society,” Crerar said.

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