South Africans are less apprehensive about the year ahead than they were a year ago, with only one in every four South Africans (24%) saying that 2004 would be worse than 2003, according to a Markinor survey issued on Wednesday.
A further 32% said that 2004 would be the same as 2003, and 38% thought the New Year would bring them better things.
Markinor conducted the South African leg of the poll among 3 500 respondents in October and November 2003. The study is representative of the views of adults over the age of 16, in the country as a whole.
The good news is that the proportion of South Africans who feel positive about the year ahead has increased significantly, and correspondingly, the proportion that have negative feelings about the year ahead has decreased since last year.
According to the survey, at the beginning of 2003, 38% thought that 2003 was going to be worse than 2002, compared with only 24% this year.
It is the younger generation from the age of 16 to 34 who are more positive about the future.
The majority of this optimistic group are employed, with either a matric or a tertiary education, the survey mentioned.
The so-called coloured population have the strongest belief that 2004 is going to be a better year. Most of the South Africans who have a positive outlook for 2004 fall into the higher income brackets.
The group of the South African population who believe that 2004 is going to be worse than 2003, are generally older, unemployed, and with little or no education.
The Indian population show the most concern about the future.
Although the rand had recovered remarkably in 2003, and interest rates have been cut, the economy was still the major reason why 22% of South Africans felt there would be economic difficulty in the year ahead.
The good news is that 34% of South Africans believe that 2004 will bring more economic prosperity — but that’s almost the same as the 35%t who believe it will remain the same as in 2003.
Three out of every ten (30%) South Africans believe that strikes and industrial disputes will increase.
On a regional analysis residents of the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal anticipate the highest levels of economic difficulty.
Unemployment is still a major issue, with 58% expecting the unemployment rate to increase, compared to 64% at the beginning of 2003.
Sixty-one percent of those who are currently employed, believe that if they were to become unemployed, it would take quite a long time to find a new job.
Seen against the background of world-wide uncertainty, fewer South Africans (22% as opposed to 31% in 2003) believe that 2004 will be a troubled year with much international discord.
Twenty-three percent think 2004 will be a peaceful year, and more or less free of international dispute. ‒ Sapa