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South Africans overwhelmingly believe that the coronavirus crisis has made the country more unequal.
- The Edelman Trust Barometer measures trust based on competence and ethics.
- The latest survey shows that companies have overtaken NGOs as the most trusted institution in South Africa.
- The media and the government are still viewed as distrustful, unethical, and incompetent.
South Africans now trust companies more than any other institution and expect CEOs to solve social challenges that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis.
The media and the government are still considered suspicious, unethical and incompetent. Trust is becoming more localized, and the most trusted source of information has become employer communications.
These findings come from the Edelman Trust Barometer 2021, which was released Wednesday. The barometer measures confidence based on competence and ethics, is based on a nationally representative survey conducted through October and November 2020.
According to the survey, companies have overtaken NGOs as the most trusted institution in South Africa. This comes after many private organizations took steps to protect their employees and local communities during the pandemic.
Many companies put short-term profits over people by providing relief to customers, making donations to pandemic response efforts and launching community initiatives, according to the survey.
“As the pandemic puts trust to the test, companies have a clear mandate to help society navigate the Covid-19 storm and take the lead to drive positive change, and private sector organizations are expected to fill the vacuum left by the government, “says Jordan Rittenberry. , CEO of Edelman Africa. Over the past year, trust in the top four institutions – business, NGO, media and government – has increased slightly as social leaders take extraordinary steps to address the crisis, sometimes in collaboration with each other, according to the barometer. .
“The pandemic has sparked one of the most uncertain periods in modern history, further heightened fears and increased the urgency to address fundamental issues and deepening inequalities in the country. Indeed, job security has emerged as an even bigger concern than contracting Covid-19, “says Rittenberry.
More uneven
South Africans overwhelmingly believe that the coronavirus crisis has made the country more unequal. More than half of those surveyed say their workforce has shrunk amid the pandemic. Now, more and more people are looking for employers to offer them opportunities to improve their skills and training.
The most critical points on the agenda, according to the survey results, are the need to improve the country’s health and education systems and address poverty.
