RESEARCH – Who South Africans trust the most
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GUEST – Busi Roberts – Group Account Director: Edelman
The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2024 shows that South Africans don’t trust the government on its own – but change their tune if private businesses get involved and partner with the state to resolve issues. The barometer assesses the influence of trust across society – looking at levels of trust for government, media, business, and NGOs – According to Edelman, trust is the most valuable “currency” an organisation can have, as it gives a “license to operate, lead and succeed”. “Trust is the foundation that allows an organisation to take responsible risk, and, if it makes mistakes, to rebound from them,” the group said. However, the 2024 barometer, which gauged responses from 32,000 people in 28 countries (a minimum of 1,150 per country), found that trust in global authorities is declining – and that even science is under pressure from the spread of misinformation and perceptions of “political influence”.
The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2024 shows that South Africans don’t trust the government on its own – but change their tune if private businesses get involved and partner with the state to resolve issues. The barometer assesses the influence of trust across society – looking at levels of trust for government, media, business, and NGOs – According to Edelman, trust is the most valuable “currency” an organisation can have, as it gives a “license to operate, lead and succeed”. “Trust is the foundation that allows an organisation to take responsible risk, and, if it makes mistakes, to rebound from them,” the group said. However, the 2024 barometer, which gauged responses from 32,000 people in 28 countries (a minimum of 1,150 per country), found that trust in global authorities is declining – and that even science is under pressure from the spread of misinformation and perceptions of “political influence”.