The call to discontinue B-BBEE comes even as the country overwhelmingly agrees that building a racially representative workforce must remain a national priority.
This is according to the latest South African Reconciliation Barometer by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR).
The report highlights a striking contradiction in public opinion: citizens broadly support the goal of racial equity, but are losing faith in the policy tools meant to deliver it.
The survey shows that 54% of South Africans strongly agree or agree that B-BBEE has “gone far enough” and should now be phased out.
At the same time, 76% say hiring and promotions should be strictly merit-based, and 67% believe that using racial categories to measure transformation does more harm than good.
B-BBEE and Affirmative Action
The IJR notes that growing scrutiny of empowerment policies isn’t unique to South Africa.
International debates – including US President Donald Trump’s push to dismantle affirmative action and diversity initiatives in America – have helped shape local sentiment and political rhetoric.
Domestically, criticism has intensified over whether B-BBEE has meaningfully broadened participation or simply benefited a politically connected elite.
Opposition parties such as the DA argue that decades of empowerment efforts have failed to lift millions out of poverty, pointing to an estimated R1 trillion transferred to fewer than 100 individuals since 1994.
Despite the public’s waning support for B-BBEE specifically, the survey finds strong consensus on the broader transformation agenda.
A full 82% of South Africans across all racial groups say achieving a racially representative workforce should be a national priority. Support among white South Africans was slightly lower at 77%, but still notably high.
Black South Africans still face economic exclusion
The findings come against the backdrop of stark economic inequality. Black South Africans, who make up more than 80% of the population, face an unemployment rate of 35.8%, compared with just 8.1% among white citizens.
White households also earn nearly five times more than black households on average.
As debate over the future of empowerment policies intensifies, the IJR’s latest data suggests South Africans want transformation – but they want it delivered through new, more effective mechanisms.
