To understand the effects the energy crisis is having on people throughout South Africa, GeoPoll conducted a survey in April 2023 using our proprietary research platform. The survey addressed a number of pressing topics related to the crisis, including:

• Satisfaction with current energy provision and pricing
• Coping strategies for rising electricity prices and loadshedding
• Impacts of loadshedding on everyday life and well-being
• Loadshedding adaptations and outlook
• Perceptions of government response to the energy crisis
• Perceived causes of and solutions to the crisis
• Potential impact of the crisis on upcoming elections

Findings from the survey indicate that loadshedding is impacting almost every aspect of life in South Africa. Most respondents have had internet connection issues, been forced to throw out food or perishables, and had appliances broken due to power cuts and surges, but many have also lost access to water, been a victim of a crime due to poor lighting, or been forced to close a business/lost a job. Almost 3 out of 4 respondents say loadshedding has had a negative effect on their ability to work and earn a living, and 65% say it has had a negative impact on their personal health and well-being.

South Africans remain skeptical of the government’s attempts to solve the energy crisis. They cite corruption and mismanagement as the biggest contributors to the crisis, and do not believe President Ramaphosa is doing enough to address those issues. As a result, most say they are much less likely to support the ruling ANC party in the 2024 elections.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report on the energy crisis in South Africa or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the energy crisis using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by province, age group, and gender.

Conducting Research in Times of Crisis

In times of crisis and hardship, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups, and other stakeholders in international development and humanitarian relief turn to GeoPoll for fast and affordable data collection. Our unique remote research system and methodologies, robust database, and direct integrations with mobile network operators enable us to reach affected populations in every corner of the world.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities and coverage, contact us today.

The post GeoPoll Reports: South Africa Energy Crisis appeared first on GeoPoll.

To assess the situation on the ground, GeoPoll conducted a survey using its proprietary SMS and mobile web research platforms. The survey used a simple random sampling technique from GeoPoll’s database, gathering a sample size of more than 400 respondents per country (1,285 total) in a matter of hours as the protests were happening.

Findings from the study are detailed in this post published the morning after the protests. To view the full results, filterable by question, country, gender, and age group, scroll down to the Interactive Data Dashboard.

Public Perception and Outlook

With discontent rising to the point of public protests across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, it follows that a majority of respondents in all three countries believe things in their country are currently going in the “wrong direction.” That perception remains consistent across gender and age groups.

The largest segment of respondents in each country reports feeling “frustrated” with the current situation (42%). Many also report feeling “scared” with the protests swirling around them.

Although public sentiment skews negative overall (frustrated, scared, angry), almost one in three respondents report feeling “hopeful” (32%). That climbs to 42% in Nigeria. Respondents in Nigeria are also most likely to believe their country will get “better” in the future (64%). In South Africa, more believe their country will get “worse” (45%) than get better (37%).

The issues driving dissatisfaction and unrest vary significantly between countries. Facing skyrocketing prices and new taxes in Kenya, most respondents consider “prices/cost-of-living” the country’s most urgent issue (62%). In Nigeria, the largest segment of respondents (33%) believe fighting “corruption” should be the top priority, while the crippling energy crisis in South Africa makes “electricity” the most urgent issue.

Political Parties and Leaders

Protestors across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa rallied on Monday to call out their respective government’s inability to address their country’s issues. In our study, more than half of respondents in South Africa and Nigeria (59% and 53%) and just less than half in Kenya (46%) say they have a “somewhat” or “very unfavorable” opinion of the current government/ruling party.

Opposition party leaders face a fair amount of skepticism as well. Respondents’ opinions of the opposition parties/leaders spearheading the mass actions in their country (Azimio/Raila Odinga in Kenya, PDP/Atiku Abubakar in Nigeria, and EFF/Julius Malema in South Africa) skew only slightly more favorable than their opinions of the ruling party.

Planned Participation

Most respondents did not plan to participate actively in the Monday nationwide strike (59%). Almost 1 in 4 (22%) did plan to participate, however. Another 19% were not yet sure, creating the potential for a formidable shutdown. Nigeria had the largest segment planning to participate at 27%.

The percentages that planned to participate in protests or demonstrations this week show similar trends. Kenya, where the protests were declared illegal, had the fewest planning to participate (20%).

Potential Outcomes

One of the reasons why respondents may have been hesitant to participate in the strikes and protests is the potential for violence. A majority in all three countries say they are “extremely concerned” about the protests leading to violence or destruction.

Early reports out of Kenya on Monday describe the use of tear gas and arrests in response to the protests. In South Africa, 87 people were arrested before the protests even began for alleged public violence.

In addition to concerns about violence, many also express skepticism about the impact of the protests. The largest segment overall say they are “not optimistic at all” that the strikes/protests will positively impact their country. Skepticism runs particularly high in South Africa (47%) and Kenya (46%).

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into the full results from this study using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by region, age group, and gender.

Conduct Research in Times of Crisis

GeoPoll has extensive experience conducting research in times of crisis and unrest through remote mobile-based methodologies. In situations when it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection allows governments and democracy groups to reach citizens in remote areas or conflict zones quickly and safely, without the need for on-the-ground enumerators.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities across Africa and around the world, please contact us.

Top photo credits: @EFFSouthAfrica

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