Happiness levels in SA hit all-time low

Short-lived bursts among 2020 gloom

Twenty Plenty is how the new year 2020 was initially greeted. But hopes of a “Happy new decade” were swiftly crushed.

In January 2020‚ SA hit an all-time monthly low‚ according to the Happiness Index‚ which started recording the happiness levels of South Africans in April 2019.

The Happiness Index‚ or Gross National Happiness Index (GNH)‚ developed in a combined project between Professor Talita Greyling (University of Johannesburg)‚ Dr Stephanié Rossouw (Auckland University of Technology) and Afstereo‚ is based on sentiment analysis of the daily tweets of South Africans‚ from which they derive a happiness score. The scale of happiness runs from zero to 10‚ with five being neutral.

“Unfortunately‚ the increase in affect happiness after the 2019 elections was short-lived and we are now at the lowest average happiness levels since the index was launched‚” the team said yesterday.

Driving the unhappiness is summarised by the words of former president Nelson Mandela: “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”

A “staggering number of tragic child deaths‚ which in many instances could have been prevented if there were better childcare” heralded the start of the year. The majority of lives were lost to drownings‚ but there was also the “unmentionable‚ rape‚ torture and filicide of our most vulnerable”.

On the economic front‚ the number of corporations such as Massmart‚ Telkom and Absa either shutting down, retrenching or simply downsizing their staff added to SA’s woes.

Eskom’s loadshedding added to a bleak outlook for 2020‚ generating negative sentiment about the fear of stage 8.

The matric results released on January 6 added to shortlived happiness‚ as many believe the pass rate of 81.3% is misleading. There was also concern about the future of matriculants‚ given the perceived lack of jobs and limited funds to pursue tertiary training.

Sport added its own flavour to SA’s happiness levels. The happiness highs after the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup‚ was eroded by the series loss of the Proteas to the English cricket team.

On a happier note‚ nature added a smile to Joburgers‚ as swarms of the white-winged butterflies descended.

The promises and actions taken by President Cyril Ramaphosa to place qualified people in key state posts also resulted in positive sentiment and increases in happiness levels.