Many young people believe foreigners are bad for the country, a survey revealed on Tuesday.
The survey was conducted by Pondering Panda among 1845 respondents aged between 18 and 34.
It found young people were most likely to believe foreigners living and working in South Africa had a negative impact on the country.
At least 42 percent believed foreigners were bad for South Africa, compared to 28 percent who said their presence made no difference, and 24 percent who believed foreigners had a positive impact on the country.
The survey found that 85 percent of young people were aware of the recent xenophobic violence in various communities.
Respondents were also asked why they thought people in these communities wanted to drive foreign shop owners away.
It found young people were most likely to think foreign nationals who owned shops were drawing customers away from other businesses, with 42 percent saying this was why people wanted them to go.
“If this study reflects the attitudes of all South Africans, we have a major problem on our hands,” said Pondering Panda spokeswoman Shirley Wakefield.
“Xenophobic attacks on shop owners are likely to continue… it is clear that a significant effort is needed from government to educate people about advantages that foreigners can bring to the country,” she said.
Respondents also believed that xenophobic violence in the country was on the rise.
In the Free State, nearly two thirds of respondents believed violence would get worse.
Opinions also differed according to region, with over half the Limpopo respondents having a negative opinion of foreigners, followed by Gauteng and the Western Cape.
In the Eastern Cape, 36 percent believed foreign workers were bad for South Africa. There were no significant differences of opinion across age, gender, or race groups.
