Pew Research Center’s survey in South Africa was conducted as part of the Spring 2025 Global Attitudes Survey. The data is from a survey of 1,570 adults conducted face-to-face from Feb. 21 to March 30, 2025. Interviews were conducted in Afrikaans, English, North Sotho, South Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu. The survey is representative of the adult population ages 18 and older. Here are more details about our international survey methodology and country-specific sample designs.
For more information on the surveys in Kenya and Nigeria, refer to our country-specific methodology.
Ideology
We analyze respondents’ attitudes based on where they place themselves on an ideological scale. In South Africa, we asked people to place themselves on a seven-point scale ranging from “Extreme left” to “Extreme right.”
