The study highlighted that South Africa's charm goes far beyond its people's good humour. The country offers an envious lifestyle that blends stunning natural beauty with everyday affordability.
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If you’ve ever walked down any street in South Africa, chances are you’ve been greeted by a smiling stranger, shared a joke while waiting in a queue, or been treated like family by someone you only met five minutes ago.
Now, it’s official: South Africa is the friendliest country in the world.
According to a global study by financial services provider Remitly, the Rainbow Nation has secured the top spot, outshining famous hospitality hotspots like Greece, Croatia and Mexico.
To find the world's most welcoming nations, researchers surveyed over 3 000 people across 27 countries, using the "agreeableness" section of the widely recognised Big Five Personality Test.
While the broader test measures five key traits, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and agreeableness, this study focused purely on agreeableness as the ultimate metric for social harmony.
Participants were asked a series of questions to gauge how much concern they feel for others, whether they make time for people, and how effectively they put others at ease.
South Africa scored an impressive 34.63 out of 40 on the agreeableness scale.
Greece followed in second with 33.71, while Croatia claimed third with 33.50. In fourth was Mexico at 33.47, and Sweden concluded the top five with a score of 33.30.
The study highlighted that South Africa's charm goes far beyond its people's good humour.
Situated at the southernmost tip of the continent between two oceans, the country offers an envious lifestyle that blends stunning natural beauty with everyday affordability, shares the research.
"One of the major advantages of living in the country is the affordable cost of living, where the South African rand stretches far, with housing and everyday expenses allowing for a higher standard of living," the study noted.
Add to that a warm climate, long stretches of pristine coastline, and world-class wildlife experiences, and it’s easy to see why our country is a magnet for expats and travellers.
The study noted that navigating social life in South Africa is made easier by its cultural diversity. With 11 official languages (including English, Afrikaans, and nine indigenous African languages), there are plenty of ways to communicate, connect and make lifelong friends.
Unsurprisingly, the study revealed that most people around the globe carry a healthy dose of national pride. Over half of all participants (57%) voted for their own homeland as the friendliest country.
However, no one does patriotism quite like South Africans.
A staggering 97% of South African respondents declared their own nation to be the friendliest in the world.