South Africa News

CONTRARY to popular belief, white males are the happiest people in South Africa while African women are the unhappiest.

Sunday Times Article
June 2004

This is one of the results of a poll conducted by the market research firm Research Surveys. It measured people's levels of well-being.

It found that an overwhelming majority of white males were very satisfied with their lives and their achievements. On a scale of zero [desperately unhappy] to 100 [deliriously happy], white males put their happiness level at an average of 86 while African females scored 73.

Neil Higgs of Research Surveys said it made sense that white males were the happiest. "There is quite a lot of focus on whingeing whites. This research is saying to us that the percentage of whingeing whites is actually quite low.

"The majority of white people in this country are incredibly happy to be here. They have a chance to achieve things which they might not have achieved elsewhere," he said.

The survey found that white males were satisfied with their achievements and were fit, healthy and full of energy.

About 3 500 people were polled for the survey, which looked at factors including wealth, health and nutrition.

Higgs said money accounted for only part of the happiness factor.

"Happiness is connected to money among poor people but once you hit about R8 000-a-month household income, then it's not connected to money anymore. It becomes connected to being respected in your community, achieving your ambitions and being satisfied with what you have already achieved in life."

According to the survey, black females' low happiness score can be attributed to the difficulties they have in achieving their goals.

"We discovered that black females who live in squatter camps in urban areas and in rural farm quarters have the lowest levels of well-being in the country," Higgs said. "Many black females are trapped. They feel they can't achieve their dreams."

Among white males, happiness was connected to career satisfaction, while for females it had to do with their dreams.

Higgs pointed out that among most race groups, men were slightly happier than women. " That's because we are still very much a male-dominated society."

Coloured males and females both scored 74 while Indian men scored 79 and Indian women 82. African men scored 74.

At least 81% of white females are happy, in contrast to 74% of coloured males and 71% of coloured females.

In the Indian community, 72% of males and 73% of females said they were happy, while 54% of African males and 55% of African females were happy.

Higgs said that with an average score of 76, South Africans were "generally happy".

An unemployed Pietermaritzburg mother, Gugu Gumede, agreed that most black women were unhappy, saying they had not had opportunities to study.

"Even after apartheid, there is no change for us. Most of the work we get is domestic work," she said.

White Pietermaritzburg businessman Mike Knoesen said achieving his goals gave him a sense of satisfaction. "I enjoy the easy-going, good life. I play cricket and I love watching rugby."

Thembi Ngubane, a metering technician for Umgeni Water, said the research reflected a long-standing issue.

"White males are still on top. They have power and experience, and colour still counts. After 1994, some black women did get empowered but white males put them in jobs and indirectly dragged them down. It's window-dressing."

Psychologist Saths Cooper said the research findings was contrary to a popular belief in the "whining whites".

" African females have been on the receiving end of all the evils of the previous system. There is an increasing reliance on female-led households. They are also vulnerable to violent attacks."

A survey published last year found that Nigerians were the world's happiest people and Romanians the unhappiest.