Democracy decline: Only 17% of S Africans satisfied with democratic system – HSRC

April 30, 2026 · 3 min · Episode 43

About this episode

Dr Ngqapheli Mchunu discusses the decline in satisfaction with democracy in South Africa, highlighting significant regional disparities and a growing trust deficit in political institutions.

Democracy decline: Only 17% of S Africans satisfied with democratic system – HSRC Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) senior researcher Dr Ngqapheli Mchunu revealed a sharp decline in South Africans' demand for democracy, dropping from 67% in the mid-2000s to 36% in 2025/2026. Speaking during a Defend Our Democracy webinar, he said the HSRC election satisfaction survey highlighted a rising fatalism and an increased willingness to embrace non-democratic, "strong man" alternatives, with one in four citizens now open to such options. He said regional disparities exist, with democratic preference lowest in Limpopo at 28%, compared with higher levels in the Western Cape at 46%. Mchunu pointed out that public satisfaction with South African democracy has experienced a significant decline, with citizens who believes it works dropping from 63% in 2004 to 17% by 2025. This growing cynicism, he said, is marked by a 68% dissatisfaction rate and is largely attributed to a perceived lack of accountability and poor communication from political leadership, with Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal recording the sharpest declines. Mchunu warned of a systemic "trust deficit" across South Africa's…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Ngqapheli Mchunu

Topics covered

democracy
political satisfaction
public trust
South Africa
citizen engagement
political leadership

Keywords

democracy decline
South Africa
public satisfaction
political trust
HSRC survey
citizen engagement
strong man alternatives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

Places: South Africa, Limpopo, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal