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The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613987702571008 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany |
| author2 | Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette |
| author_browse | Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette |
| author_facet | Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany |
| author_sort | Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131672 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:52.743Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131672 The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Populism Economic Freedom Fighters Voting -- South Africa Nativism South Africa -- Politics and government Political parties -- South Africa Elections -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The rise of populism is widely documented and understood to be anti-establishment, authoritarian and nativist. The success of populism is understood in terms of supply and demand. The supply of populism comes from party strategies and the demand side stems from the opinions and attitudes of the electorate. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) fits into the increasing global pattern of populism found in electoral politics. They supply populism to South African electorates through their actions, speeches and manifestos, which empirically match populist indicators. However, despite the supply side of populism from the EFF being thoroughly explored, the demand side in terms of South African voters is yet to be empirically examined. The populist party is supplying populism and populist rhetoric to South Africans but whether there is a demand for it from the side of the electorate is yet to be known. The quick rise of the EFF suggests that the party gains its support by appealing to pre-existing populist attitudes within the electorate. The EFF voters have populist attitudes, but sometimes the success of populism is driven more by nativist sentiments than by populist ones. The success of populism in certain contexts is determined by its ability to mobilise nativist sentiments. Nativist attitudes then might be better at explaining the rise of and the driving force behind radical populist parties such as the EFF. Populism, at times, uses nativism as a crutch to become a full ideology. The ideology of nativism might be more predominant among the EFF’s support base and may account for the party’s growth. If so, the party could potentially push the country further into political radicalisation and xenophobic violence as South Africa is already prone to violent instances. A combination of pre-existing anti-immigration and xenophobic sentiments found in certain parts of South Africa – with a new demand for nativist populism (conceptualised as bringing together people who feel betrayed, neglected, and exploited by a self-interested elite and who are being threatened by a dangerous other) via political parties could potentially lead to even more violence. Accordingly, the thesis investigates nativist populism in South Africa by exploring to what extent populist or nativist attitudes drove electoral support for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in South Africa’s 2019 elections. This is done by looking at the extent to which the party supplies a form of nativist populism and to what extent supporters of the EFF hold nativist or populist attitudes. To address this research problem, this study employs a mixed-method approach. A qualitative case study is used to empirically examine whether the EFF matches the populist indicators of anti-establishment, authoritarianism, and nativism. Secondary quantitative cross-sectional survey data (from the Comparative National Project (CNEP) 2019 South African election) is used to examine the electorate’s demand for nativist populism. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opkoms van populisme is wyd gedokumenteer en word beskou as anti-establishment, outoritêr en nativisties. Die sukses van populisme word in terme van vraag en aanbod verstaan. Die aanbod van populisme kom van partystrategieë en die vraagkant spruit uit die menings en houdings van die kiesers. Die Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) pas in die toenemende globale patroon van populisme wat in verkiesingspolitiek gevind word. Hulle verskaf populisme aan Suid-Afrikaanse kiesers deur hul optrede, toesprake en manifeste, wat empiries ooreenstem met populistiese aanwysers. Ten spyte van die aanbodkant van populisme van die EFF wat deeglik ondersoek is, moet die vraagkant in terme van Suid-Afrikaanse kiesers egter nog empiries ondersoek word. Die populistiese party verskaf populisme en populistiese retoriek aan Suid-Afrikaners, maar of daar 'n aanvraag daarvoor van die kant van die kiesers is, is nog nie bekend nie. Die vinnige opkoms van die EFF dui daarop dat die party sy steun kry deur 'n beroep te doen op voorafbestaande populistiese houdings binne die kiesers. Die EFF-kiesers het populistiese houdings, maar soms word die sukses van populisme meer gedryf deur nativistiese sentimente as deur populistiese sentimente. Die sukses van populisme in sekere kontekste word bepaal deur sy vermoë om nativistiese sentimente te mobiliseer. Nativistiese houdings sal dan dalk beter wees om die opkoms van en die dryfkrag agter radikale populistiese partye soos die EFF te verduidelik. Populisme gebruik soms nativisme as 'n kruk om 'n volle ideologie te word. Die ideologie van nativisme is dalk meer oorheersend onder die EFF se steunbasis en kan verantwoordelik wees vir die party se groei. Indien wel, kan die party die land moontlik verder stoot tot politieke radikalisering en xenofobiese geweld aangesien Suid-Afrika reeds geneig is tot gewelddadige gevalle. 'n Kombinasie van voorafbestaande anti-immigrasie en xenofobiese sentimente wat in sekere dele van Suid-Afrika aangetref word – met 'n nuwe eis vir nativistiese populisme via politieke partye (gekonseptualiseer as om mense bymekaar te bring wat verraai, verwaarloos en uitgebuit voel deur 'n eiebelang-elite en wat deur 'n gevaarlike ander bedreig word – kan moontlik tot nog meer geweld lei. Gevolglik ondersoek die tesis die opkoms van nativistiese populisme in Suid-Afrika deur te ondersoek in watter mate populistiese of nativistiese houdings verkiesingssteun vir die Ekonomiese Vryheidsvegters (EFF) in Suid-Afrika se 2019-verkiesing gedryf het. Dit word gedoen deur te kyk na die mate waarin die party 'n vorm van nativistiese populisme verskaf en in watter mate ondersteuners van die EFF nativistiese of populistiese houdings huldig. Om hierdie navorsingsprobleem aan te spreek, gebruik hierdie studie 'n gemengde-metode benadering. ’n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie word gebruik om empiries te ondersoek of die EFF ooreenstem met die populistiese aanwysers van anti-establishment, outoritarisme en nativisme. Sekondêre kwantitatiewe deursnee-opnamedata (van die Vergelykende Nasionale Projek (CNEP) 2019 Suid-Afrikaanse verkiesing) word gebruik om die kiesers se eis vir nativistiese populisme te ondersoek. Masters 2025-02-05T08:11:21Z 2025-02-05T08:11:21Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131672 en Stellenbosch University xiii, 150 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Populism Economic Freedom Fighters Voting -- South Africa Nativism South Africa -- Politics and government Political parties -- South Africa Elections -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa UCTD Henkeman, Carlynn Tiffany The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title | The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title_full | The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title_fullStr | The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title_full_unstemmed | The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title_short | The rise of nativist populism in South Africa: an examination of populist supply and demand from the Economic Freedom Fighters and its support base |
| title_sort | rise of nativist populism in south africa an examination of populist supply and demand from the economic freedom fighters and its support base |
| topic | Populism Economic Freedom Fighters Voting -- South Africa Nativism South Africa -- Politics and government Political parties -- South Africa Elections -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131672 |
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