Ubuntu, faith, forgiveness and stubborn hope… these are the ingredients helping South Africans rise, according to the Global Flourishing Study.
South Africa (29 December 2025) – The Global Flourishing Study, one of the biggest well-being studies on the planet, shared its findings this year. More than 200,000 people across 22 countries were surveyed, and the results show something South Africans have always known deep down: we are tougher, kinder and more hopeful than the headlines ever give us credit for.
Despite the daily realities of corruption, inequality, and pressure on households, the study shows that South Africans are holding steady. Our levels of happiness and life satisfaction sit almost shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the world… a 6.95 out of 10, compared to the global average of 7.00. And it’s not just one metric. Across more than 30 different measures of well-being, from sense of purpose and social belonging to gratitude, general health and everyday optimism, South Africa consistently aligns with global norms.
So yes, even though we’ve got things to fix, the data confirms that we’re not defined by our problems.
In fact, South Africa was ranked among the top five countries. The study highlighted areas where South Africans truly stand out:
- Hope for the future is stronger here than in many countries.
- Inner peace shows up more often than expected, even in noisy seasons of life.
- Forgiveness scores are among the highest in the world.
- Faith and spirituality remain a powerful anchor for many people.
- Community strength and belonging are steady, even when the economy isn’t.
In short, we show up for each other. We find joy in small things. We repair, rebuild and try again. And that is something that truly counts.
Another global report this year named South Africa the most generous country in the world, based on empathy, kindness and everyday humanity. Not donations or money but humanity.
We see it in all the stories we write.
It’s the neighbour helping a community, like when an 83-year-old took to the streets of Pennington to fill potholes and restore hope in his community. Or a teacher who gave a former pupil a second chance at life by donating a kidney. Or the quiet dedication of Bohlale Mphahlele, the schoolgirl-turned-safety pioneer, building a safer South Africa. Or the hero on board who assisted a FlySafair crew during a mid-flight emergency. And it’s the everyday kindness of people like Officer Tony Pietersen, Paarl’s unsung hero of positivity, who build a nation from the inside out.
If flourishing has a flavour, in South Africa, it tastes like Ubuntu.
But the Global Flourishing Study doesn’t shy away from the gaps. Financial strain, trust in leadership, personal safety and inequality still weigh heavily on South Africans. Vulnerable communities carry the biggest load. Those are real problems and they deserve real solutions. Instead of framing them as signs of failure, the researchers call them opportunities: places where support, policy and community innovation could change lives; areas where improvement would lift the nation’s well-being as a whole.
It’s a list of what to fix, not a verdict.
Flourishing isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about recognising what’s working, nurturing it and using it as fuel for what comes next. South Africa’s strengths, our generosity, our optimism, our sense of meaning and our ability to forgive, are not small things. They are foundations. They are starting points. They are proof that our story is not stuck. If we can invest in the places where people are struggling, protect the bonds that hold communities together, and build systems that match the spirit of the people they serve, then the numbers in the next year’s study will not just hold steady… they’ll rise.
Flourishing is not out of reach. It’s already happening in pockets and households and hearts across the country. The task now is to widen the circle, so more of us get to feel it.
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