South Africans’ attitudes toward science and technology are influenced by their backgrounds and life circumstances. Drawing on data from the 2022 South African Public Relationship with Science Survey, this article examines how attitudes vary according to age, education, income level, and place of residence. Understanding these differences is important for ensuring that science and technology policies, education, and communication are inclusive and respond to the needs and concerns of all South Africans.

Science and technology (S&T) are cornerstones of modern society, helping societies to solve problems, improve quality of life, and build more resilient futures. However, to unlock their full potential, public understanding, support and engagement with S&T are essential. When people are informed and engaged, they are more likely to support S&T-related research and innovation, participate in science policy debates, and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This contributes to fostering a society that values and supports science.

Public attitudes, in turn, are shaped by factors such as knowledge, interest, trust, personal experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics. The way people perceive S&T also feeds back into these factors, shaping how people engage with and respond to S&T. Understanding these attitudes is therefore essential for identifying strategies that promote positive views of and greater support for S&T. Many countries use a common set of measures to examine attitudes towards science, focusing on its promise (positive aspects) and reservations (negative aspects). The measure of ‘scientific promise’ is associated with the belief that S&T deliver valuable benefits to society and hold potential for future gains. In contrast, ‘scientific reservation’ captures concerns about the rapid pace of S&T-driven change, and fears that these advancements may pose risks to or clash with traditional values and beliefs.

How do South Africans feel about S&T in their lives?

The HSRC conducted the South African Public Relationship with Science survey (SAPRS) in 2022. Here, we explore how South Africans’ views on S&T varied according to four key factors: age, education level, socio-economic status, and geographic location. Figure 1 presents the public’s agreement with each of the promise and reservation statements, while those that follow illustrate disaggregation by the four key factors, using average ‘promise’ and ‘reservation’.

Figure 1. South Africans’ attitudes towards S&T (2022)

Source: HSRC SAPRS 2022

Younger people had more circumspect attitudes towards S&T

On average, younger South Africans tended to express stronger views—both in favour of and against S&T—than older respondents. This may reflect their greater exposure to and daily use of technology, allowing them to recognise both the benefits and the risks, as shown in Figure 2.

For example, when asked whether “Scientific advances tend to benefit the rich more than the poor”, the level of agreement dropped from the 16–34 age group to those aged 35–54, but then increased again for people aged 55 and older. Interestingly, this statement showed the smallest difference in agreement (2%) was between the youngest and oldest groups. The biggest difference was for the statement “Science and technology are making our lives healthier, easier, and more comfortable”, where there was a 16% gap between the youngest and oldest respondents.

Figure 2. Attitudes towards S&T across age groups (2022)

Source: HSRC SAPRS 2022

These findings suggest that younger South Africans’ daily immersion in technology may make them both enthusiastic adopters and sharper critics—a duality that shapes the broader generational conversation.

Higher levels of education lead to stronger attitudes

Education emerged as a key factor in shaping opinions (Figure 3). Those with higher levels of education generally had stronger views, except for the statement, “S&T will create more opportunities for future generations”. Here, agreement increased gradually from those with no schooling to those who had completed Grade 12 (or equivalent), then dropped again for those with a post-school qualification. The difference between the lowest and highest education levels for this item was fairly small, at only 9%. The biggest gap was for the statement “Science and technology will make work more interesting”, where the difference was 20%. There was no clear pattern for the reservation items.

Although the averages for promise and reservation were lowest for those with only primary or no schooling, the difference thereafter was minimal for promise, and no difference was observed for reservation. This suggests that education, especially at secondary level, significantly influenced how people engaged with and perceived S&T. However, since positive attitudes didn’t necessarily increase with more education, exposure and relevance may matter just as much as education level. This also highlights that basic education was especially important for equipping people to understand and value S&T.

Figure 3. Differences in attitudes by level of education (2022)

Source: HSRC SAPRS 2022

This suggests interventions should focus on making S&T more relevant and accessible to learners early on.

More affluent people tend to have more positive attitudes

Those from a middle and high socio-economic status (SES) were generally more optimistic about S&T. They showed higher agreement with promise-related statements than those from a lower SES (Figure 4). Average agreement with reservation items decreased slightly from middle- to high-SES respondents, although three of the four reservation items had the highest levels of agreement among middle-income households. For the statement “S&T will make work more interesting”, the biggest difference was observed between low and high SES (9%), while “Scientific advances tend to benefit the rich more than the poor”, differed by only 1%, with middle-SES respondents reporting slightly higher agreement. These findings suggest that individuals with more resources and access—often linked to better education, jobs, and technology—may feel more empowered by S&T and perceive it as something that can improve their lives.

Middle-income households showed the highest agreement with certain reservation items (especially those highlighting inequality). This suggests a more nuanced perspective: they tend to recognise both the potential of S&T and the unequal distribution of its benefits. This unique perspective may stem from their position between the lower and higher SES groups, allowing them to see both exclusion and privilege.

Figure 4. Attitudes towards S&T by socio-economic status (2022)

Source: HSRC SAPRS 2022

These results indicate that access to resources and opportunities influences optimism and critical perspectives on S&T, pointing to the role of geographic location in shaping exposure and engagement.

People in urban areas more positive; those in rural areas somewhat more reserved

People living in urban areas expressed the most positive views towards S&T, perhaps indicating greater opportunities for engagement with these topics (Figure 5), followed by those living in rural traditional authority areas and rural farm areas. For reservation items, the pattern differed, with three of the four statements having the highest level of agreement in rural traditional authority areas, albeit only slightly higher than in urban areas. The differences in the average for rural farm areas were greater than the difference between the other two categories, possibly indicating the impact of limited access and exposure to S&T information on attitudes.

Figure 5. Differences in attitudes by area of residence (2022)

Source: HSRC SAPRS 2022

Taken together, these patterns show that attitudes toward S&T are shaped by a combination of personal, social, and structural factors, underlining the need for tailored interventions that respond to South Africans’ diverse circumstances.

Cultivating positive public attitudes towards S&T in South Africa

The SAPRS Survey reveals a nuanced public landscape: South Africans are largely optimistic about S&T, but remain critically aware of its risks and limitations. These attitudes are not only shaped by individual traits like age or income, but also by broader social values, trust in institutions, and how science is communicated.

To be effective, interventions must go beyond simply promoting science to acknowledging and addressing public concerns. South Africa needs to cultivate a culture that not only celebrates S&T but also encourages open, critical, and evidence-based conversations. A more informed and engaged society that recognises the benefits of S&T, while being able to critically evaluate implications, builds trust, deepens engagement, and ensures S&T remain relevant and responsive to society’s needs.

This requires continued information dissemination, transparency and opportunities for engagement, while tailoring interventions for different groups:

• Age: Designing specific programmes targeting older adults could focus on addressing misconceptions and demonstrating the benefits of modern S&T.
• Education level: Initiatives for individuals with lower educational attainment could incorporate elements such as storytelling in local languages or using visual representations to make information more digestible.
• Socio-economic status: Developing science communication and engagement activities for lower- and middle-income groups, focusing on how S&T can improve their daily lives, may lead to more informed and positive attitudes.
• Location: In rural areas the focus should be on enhancing access and exposure to S&T information, building trust and highlighting the benefits and relevance of S&T for communities.

Research contacts and acknowledgements

This article was written by Sylvia Hannan (shannan@hsrc.ac.za), chief researcher, and Andrea Juan (ajuan@hsrc.ac.za), chief research specialist, in the HSRC’s Equitable Education and Economies division. It is based on findings from the 2022 SAPRS, which was funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. Over the course of four years, the core research team members on the SAPRS project were Dr Vijay Reddy, Dr Benjamin Roberts, Sylvia Hannan and Dr Steven Gordon. Researchers who contributed to aspects of the study were Dr Thando Tenza, Dr Shanaaz Dunn. This article was written by Sylvia Hannan (shannan@hsrc.ac.za), chief researcher, and Andrea Juan (ajuan@hsrc.ac.za), chief research specialist, in the HSRC’s Equitable Education and Economies division. It is based on findings from the 2022 SAPRS, which was funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. Over the course of four years, the core research team members on the SAPRS project were Dr Vijay Reddy, Dr Benjamin Roberts, Sylvia Hannan and Dr Steven Gordon. Researchers who contributed to aspects of the study were Dr Thando Tenza, Dr Shanaaz Dunn, Dr Saahier Parker, Dr Ngqapheli Mchunu, Dr Thobeka Zondi, and Fabian Arends.

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