Institute of Race Relations (IRR) polling data show that nearly all South Africans from across all communities – 92% – want national sports teams to be chosen on merit, not race.
In a statement, the IRR says this amounts to a “wholesale repudiation of a long-standing government stance”.
How people think sports teams should be selected is detailed in the IRR’s latest polling report on the current state of race relations, to be released on 26 November.
In Pro-Growth or Pro-Poverty: Findings of IRR Polling 2025, Report 3: Race and Race Relations in South Africa as of 2025, the IRR sets out the finding that 92% of South Africans believe national team selection should be based purely on merit. Support for this principle is almost unanimous across the country’s communities: 92% of black, 92% of coloured, 86% of Indian, and 93% of white respondents agree that excellence, not racial quotas, should decide who represents South Africa.
Says Hermann Pretorius, IRR Head of Strategic Communications and author of the IRR’s 2025 polling reports: “The results of our annual scientific and nationally representative opinion survey show that South Africans have had enough of being divided by race. They want to see players earn their place through talent, discipline, and performance. The public’s message is unmistakable: it’s time to #EndRaceConscription in sport. Let our athletes compete as equals and make South Africa proud on the strength of their talent and merit.”
Pretorius said that Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie should take particular note of this important finding, given its enormous relevance to his portfolio and his vital role in shepherding South Africa’s international representation in competitive sport.
The full polling report will be published in an online webinar on 26 November. Pretorius will present all the findings on the state of race relations in the country as of 2025. Details of the webinar will be made available in due course.
[Image: By Stefano Delfrate – Autumn Nations Series ’22- Italia vs Sudafrica-179.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130020055]