South Africa’s democracy may be holding, but public confidence remains fragile. The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation has released its 2025 South African Reconciliation Barometer, revealing that one year into the country’s Government of National Unity, trust in political leadership is still critically low — even as many South Africans express cautious support for government policies.

Based on more than two thousand nationally representative interviews, the survey paints a picture of a nation grappling with deep economic hardship, low interpersonal trust, and persistent inequality — with poverty and unemployment still seen as the biggest obstacles to reconciliation since 1994. While support exists for key initiatives like National Health Insurance and the National Dialogue, nearly eight in ten South Africans believe political leaders are untrustworthy and disconnected from ordinary people. The findings raise serious questions about social cohesion, accountability, and what lies ahead as the country moves closer to the 2026 local government elections. To tell us more about this report, we are joined by…

Guest: Kate Lefko-Everatt - Senior Consultant at SA Reconciliation Barometer