Myth busting: Latest polling shows Black South Africans now the DA’s majority

This article was first published by The Common Sense.New polling by The Common Sense and the Social Research Foundation challenges the persistent myth that the Democratic Alliance is a "white party." The data show black South Africans narrowly outnumber white supporters, while black, Coloured, and Indian voters combined make up 65% of DA backing—leaving whites just over a third. Analyst Gabriel Makin argues the real dividing line isn't race but class: middle-class South Africans, regardless of background, increasingly see the DA as advancing their interests, while poorer voters remain split between the ANC, MK Party, and EFF, seeking a party that addresses their economic circumstances..By Gabriel Makin for The Common Sense.One of the myths that permeates South African politics is that the Democratic Alliance (DA) is a white party. That is quite wrong, and the DA now draws the bulk of its support from black South Africans.In July, The Common Sense and the Social Research Foundation polled support for political parties in the country. One of the questions asked was: if an election were held today, which party would you vote for?When the answers in favour of the DA were broken down by race, the following support profile for that party emerged:.Three big points emerge from these data.The first is that the narrowly defined black share, at 36%, was marginally higher than the white share.The second is that the broader black share, which lumps black, Coloured, and Indian South Africans together, was 65%.The third is that the party’s traditional white constituency now makes up just over a third of its support base.Gabriel Makin told The Common Sense, “South Africa perpetuates myths about its people and their politics and their beliefs and positions, and these often do great damage to the country as they drive narratives of great division. But more often than not, the data show a very different picture of people who are able to come together across lines of historical divides where their interests intersect.”In the case of the DA data, Makin says that common ground is their middle-class status: “If you are a middle-class South African, you now likely vote for the DA because it is clear to you how that party advances your interests. It does not matter much whether you are black or white or ex-African National Congress (ANC)”..Read more:.Why black voters trust the DA but won’t cast their ballots: Katzenellenbogen .“But it remains harder for people who are not in the middle class to see exactly how the DA defends their interests, and that is why the broader vote in the country is now so fragmented between the ANC, which still has a national lead, the DA, about 10 or so points behind it, and then the uMkhonto weSizwe Party behind the DA, with the Economic Freedom Fighters bringing up the rear. That broader vote is still misdiagnosed as a racial vote, but the analysis is wrong there. [It] is an interests vote, and what that broader base has in common on interests is that it is relatively poor and is looking for a political option to address that. As soon as that changes and a person breaks into the middle class, their vote begins to lean to the DA.”.This article was first published by The Common Sense and is republished with permission..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

Myth busting: Latest polling shows Black South Africans now the DA’s majority

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