South Africa Stuns Global Community as the Friendliest Nation
South Africa takes the top spot as the globe's amiable nation.
In a shocking turn of events, South Africa, a country known for grappling with issues such as crime and gender-based violence, takes the crown as the world's friendliest nation. This unexpected title comes courtesy of a scientific study carried out by UK bank Remitly, assessing 27 countries based on five major personality traits.
Friendliest Nation in the World? You Bet! 🇿🇦
Remitly's study, which polled over 3,000 participants worldwide, proclaimed South Africa as the undisputed "friendliest" country. The research focused on the "agreeableness" section of the Big 5 Personality Test, measuring five key traits: openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism. The objective was clear: to pinpoint the nation considered the most welcoming to tourists and visitors.
South Africa earned an impressive score of 34.63 out of 40 in the agreeableness category. Remitly's analysis noted South Africans' warm and welcoming nature, making it easy for travelers to feel at ease. The study also highlighted South Africans' friendly disposition, evident in their tendency to engage in friendly conversations and show good humor, cracking plenty of jokes.
The South African government's official Twitter account shared the results, adding, "From Ubuntu to everyday kindness, South Africans are just lekker like that."
Who Else Makes the Cut?
While South Africa claimed first place, here are the rest of the Top 10 friendliest countries according to the study:
- South Africa
- Greece
- Croatia
- Mexico
- Sweden
- Australia
- Canada
- Germany
- Estonia
- Belgium
Beneath the Surface
The results of the study revealed South Africans' remarkable kindness, empathy, and willingness to welcome others. This friendly spirit, despite societal challenges, sets South Africa apart on a global scale. The study investigated participants' agreeableness scores in traits like cooperation, altruism, and political moderation. Countries were ranked based on these scores from respondents worldwide.
Greece and Croatia, ranked second and third respectively, also exhibited high levels of agreeableness but specific findings for these countries weren't detailed in the results beyond their ranking.
South Africa's friendly reputation underscores its social identity, a defining trait that transcends societal issues and offers a glimpse into the nation's true spirit—a spirit that's warm, vibrant, and universally welcoming.
South Africa's friendly nature, as assessed by the Big 5 Personality Test conducted by UK bank Remitly, was highlighted in the agreeableness category, where the country earned an impressive score of 34.63 out of 40. This warm and welcoming demeanor, demonstrated through friendly conversations and good humor, was a key factor in South Africa being declared the friendliest country, according to Remitly's research.
Beyond South Africa, countries like Greece, Croatia, Mexico, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Germany, Estonia, and Belgium also scored highly in the study, indicating a general tendency among their populations to be agreeable, cooperative, and welcoming.
The study's findings suggest that South Africa's friendly spirit, despite societal challenges, is a defining trait that sets the country apart on a global scale, offering a glimpse into its true spirit—a spirit that's warm, vibrant, and universally welcoming, beneath the surface of its sometimes difficult lifestyle and complex history.
