Howzit, neighbour! Remarkably high number of South Africans know their neighbours’ names
If a recent survey is anything to go by, South Africans may be some of the friendliest people in the world.
A recent survey by Statistics South Africa has revealed that almost 92% of South African households know their neighbours' names, which is far higher than countries like the USA and the UK.
READ: Oh no! Darren gets called out on air by his neighbour
Comparatively, in a UK poll, it was found that only 27% of Brits knew their neighbours' names and in the USA, a survey found that only half of Americans knew their neighbours' names, the same goes in Australia.
The Stats SA survey found that when it came to rural areas in South Africa, more than 97% of South Africans knew their neighbours’ names. This could be attributed to a sense of community versus what we see in a more suburban areas where there is some distance from one house to the next, including fencing and tall buildings.
According to Stats SA, when it comes to which province in South Africa ranked the highest, the Eastern Cape recorded the highest proportion (96%) of households who know their neighbours’ names, with Gauteng (86%) the lowest.
Another interesting fact was that 79% of South Africans would trust their neighbours to look after their children and almost 87% of people in KwaZulu-Natal would trust their neighbours to look after their children.
Would you agree, KZN?
Stacey and J Sbu are on the fence. For Stacey, when she was younger she remembers her neighbours or the 'aunties' from next door always popping in at her home for the odd sugar and just tea time in the backyard. She would also often be at her neighbour's house playing with their kids.
READ: #AskStacey: Why don't we greet our neighbours?
She does admit that as she grew up and moved out of home, things have changed a lot, even though Stacey does say she knows her neighbours and they greet each other when they happen to bump into each other, that is where the pleasantries end.
I remember as a youth always saying "hello" to the Aunty next door, so I'm not quite sure when that stopped being a thing. Maybe we should bring it back, because when we can't find the cat or need to borrow some brown sugar, we can knock on a door with confidence.
J Sbu, on the other hand, admits to not knowing his neighbour's name and it is not really a priority. Like Stacey, he lives in an apartment where he hardly sees his neighbours unless it is in the lift or when they happen to bump into them in passing.
Questioned on whether they would trust their current neighbours with their house keys, the duo gave a resounding "no".
Where do you stand in the conversation, KZN? Do you and your neighbour have 'neighbourly love'? Do you believe you should know your neighbour's name?
Vote in the poll below:
Listen to the full podcast to hear what KZN had to say: