South Africans are among the most intolerant of immigrants and the most tolerant of homosexuality on the African continent.
This was according to an Afrobarometer report called "Good neighbours? Africans express high levels of tolerance for many, but not for all", which would be released globally today.
Afrobarometer, a nonpartisan research network that leads public attitude surveys on the continent, surveyed 33 African countries in 2015, including South Africa.
The average for African tolerance to immigrants stood at 81%, with South Africa trailing behind at 68%.
Tolerance for immigrants in Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Benin stood at 94%, the study showed.
The report found that of the respondents in SA, 32% of South Africans would strongly or somewhat dislike an immigrant to be their neighbour.
This is the sixth highest in the survey with Lesotho at 42%, Zambia 35% and Mauritius 34% taking the top three positions for anti-immigrant attitudes.
Last year in April, South Africans attacked foreign nationals across the country. Seven people - four South Africans and three foreign nationals - died during the attacks. Hundreds were displaced.
However, when it comes to acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality and homosexuals, SA performed well above the African average.
Cape Verde scored 74%, SA 67% and Mozambique 56%, the most tolerant of same-sex relationships. The average for the 33 African countries was at 21%.
Afrobarometer said the majority of people in the top three countries would not mind or did not care whether their neighbour was homosexual.
Senegal at3%, Guinea at 4% and Uganda at 5% were the African countries that were least tolerant towards homosexuality, making them arguably the most unsafe to have same-sex relationships.
Professor Thabo Msibi from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who specialises in critical gender and sexuality studies, believed the reason for the high intolerance towards homosexuality was misinformation.
"We have language, visual art, customary rituals and practices all of which point to the existence and accommodation of same-sex practices, acts and performances on the continent," said Msibi.
Colonialism and the influence of missionaries were vital to increasing homophobic sentiment on the continent.
"Same-sex love is not a Western import, what is a Western import however is homophobia as this was brought in by missionaries," he said.
The report examined tolerance of Africans towards social differences namely religion, ethnicity, HIV/Aids status and acceptance of immigrants and foreign workers.
Continentally, the picture looked bright with most Africans being tolerant of people from different religions, nationalities, ethnicities and people with HIV/Aids.
Tolerance levels were particularly high in countries that were ethnically and religiously diverse.
According to Afrobarometer, a common narrative of Africa was that most citizens were intolerant of people who were different - whether that difference was based on ethnicity, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or sexual orientation.
Responses to the questions on tolerance suggested that this generalisation is incorrect.
appasamyy@sowetan.co.za
South Africans don't like foreigners - report
South Africans are among the most intolerant of immigrants and the most tolerant of homosexuality on the African continent.
This was according to an Afrobarometer report called "Good neighbours? Africans express high levels of tolerance for many, but not for all", which would be released globally today.
Afrobarometer, a nonpartisan research network that leads public attitude surveys on the continent, surveyed 33 African countries in 2015, including South Africa.
The average for African tolerance to immigrants stood at 81%, with South Africa trailing behind at 68%.
Tolerance for immigrants in Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Benin stood at 94%, the study showed.
The report found that of the respondents in SA, 32% of South Africans would strongly or somewhat dislike an immigrant to be their neighbour.
This is the sixth highest in the survey with Lesotho at 42%, Zambia 35% and Mauritius 34% taking the top three positions for anti-immigrant attitudes.
Last year in April, South Africans attacked foreign nationals across the country. Seven people - four South Africans and three foreign nationals - died during the attacks. Hundreds were displaced.
However, when it comes to acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality and homosexuals, SA performed well above the African average.
Cape Verde scored 74%, SA 67% and Mozambique 56%, the most tolerant of same-sex relationships. The average for the 33 African countries was at 21%.
Afrobarometer said the majority of people in the top three countries would not mind or did not care whether their neighbour was homosexual.
Senegal at3%, Guinea at 4% and Uganda at 5% were the African countries that were least tolerant towards homosexuality, making them arguably the most unsafe to have same-sex relationships.
Professor Thabo Msibi from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who specialises in critical gender and sexuality studies, believed the reason for the high intolerance towards homosexuality was misinformation.
"We have language, visual art, customary rituals and practices all of which point to the existence and accommodation of same-sex practices, acts and performances on the continent," said Msibi.
Colonialism and the influence of missionaries were vital to increasing homophobic sentiment on the continent.
"Same-sex love is not a Western import, what is a Western import however is homophobia as this was brought in by missionaries," he said.
The report examined tolerance of Africans towards social differences namely religion, ethnicity, HIV/Aids status and acceptance of immigrants and foreign workers.
Continentally, the picture looked bright with most Africans being tolerant of people from different religions, nationalities, ethnicities and people with HIV/Aids.
Tolerance levels were particularly high in countries that were ethnically and religiously diverse.
According to Afrobarometer, a common narrative of Africa was that most citizens were intolerant of people who were different - whether that difference was based on ethnicity, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or sexual orientation.
Responses to the questions on tolerance suggested that this generalisation is incorrect.
appasamyy@sowetan.co.za
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