World’s friendliest country? South Africa leads the way
South Africans have proven that unity shines through diversity, earning the country the title of the world’s friendliest nation.
In a surprising twist, South Africa, a country often grappling with serious social challenges such as crime and gender-based violence, has been named the world’s “friendliest” nation.
This unexpected recognition comes from a scientific study that assessed 27 countries based on five major personality traits.
South Africa tops global list for friendliness
According to UK bank Remitly, South Africa earned the top spot for being the “friendliest” country in the world.
In a scientific study, over 3 000 poll participants worldwide answered a series of questions from the “agreeableness” section of the Big 5 Personality Test. The test gauges five key personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.
The mission was to discover which country was considered the ‘friendliest’ and most welcoming to tourists and visitors.
In the study, South Africa scored an impressive 34.63 out of 40 in the agreeableness trait.
Remitly said in the analysis: “Residents are known for being warm and welcoming, making it easy for travellers and visitors alike to feel at ease around them. It’s not uncommon to be greeted by polite strangers while walking down the street, and South Africans are generally happy to socialise by engaging in conversations and showing off their good humour, making plenty of jokes.
“An added plus point is that there are eleven official languages spoken in South Africa (English, Afrikaans, and nine ethnic languages), meaning that there are plentiful ways to communicate with the locals and make new friends”.
The results of the study were tweeted from the SA government’s official X account, which added: “From Ubuntu to everyday kindness, South Africans are just lekker like that.”
WHO ELSE MAKES THE CUT?
While South Africa nabs first place, here are the rest of the Top 10 friendliest countries according to the study
2. Greece
3. Croatia
4. Mexico
5. Sweden
6. Australia
7. Canada
8. Germany
9. Estonia
10. Belgium