South African National Attitudinal Survey (2025)

In 2015, the Other Foundation commissioned the first-ever nationally representative survey on social attitudes towards LGBTI people in South Africa. Conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) as part of its South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), the project culminated in the publication of Progressive Prudes, a landmark report that has informed public debate, advocacy, and policy on LGBTI inclusion in the country and the region.

Ten years later, the Foundation seeks to revisit and expand this work through a new round of national attitudinal research that captures how views, values, and social norms regarding homosexuality and gender diversity have evolved over the past decade in South Africa. This new study will build on the original methodology and provide comparative insights that can inform national and regional strategies for social inclusion.

The Other Foundation invites proposals from suitably qualified research teams to conduct a comprehensive and statistically representative survey and analysis of public attitudes towards, understanding of, and experiences of homosexuality and gender diversity in South Africa, with the aim of comparing the findings to those from the 2015 study.

Scope of Work

In close collaboration with the Other Foundation and a national reference group, the selected research team is expected to:

1. Submit a proposed methodology and work plan with a clear implementation schedule, aligned with the approach used in the 2015 study to allow for comparative analysis.
2. Work closely with a national reference group composed of activists, academics, and other stakeholders to ensure a participatory approach. This group will advise on survey design, key questions, implementation, and the interpretation of results.
3. Design a comprehensive new questionnaire building on the 2015 instrument, ensuring comparability while incorporating emerging themes relevant to the contemporary context.
4. Obtain ethical clearance from the appropriate authority in South Africa.
5. Identify, train, and supervise fieldworkers with experience in conducting sensitive social research, especially related to LGBTI topics.
6. Administer the survey nationally, ensuring quality control mechanisms throughout fieldwork and data collection.
7. Put in place a safety and security plan to uphold ethical standards, ensure participant privacy and data protection, and safeguard the wellbeing of fieldworkers and participants.
8. Provide a clean, complete dataset using appropriate software, with anonymized responses.
9. Deliver a comprehensive analytical report of the results, highlighting trends, changes, and persistent challenges in social attitudes compared to the 2015 baseline.

Qualifications and Experience Required

Research teams must:

1. Demonstrate extensive experience in designing and implementing large-scale social surveys in South Africa or the region.
2. Have specific experience with surveys on sensitive social topics, including LGBTI-related issues.
3. Show familiarity with ethical considerations, statistical methods, and rigorous quality control in attitudinal research.
4. Be proficient in using statistical analysis software (e.g. SPSS, R, Stata).
5. Have worked with civil society and/or LGBTI movements in South Africa.
6. Include a Project Manager with a minimum of ten years of experience in survey research and a postgraduate degree.
7. Include a National Coordinator with at least five years of experience in managing fieldwork logistics.
8. Include a Data Analyst with at least ten years of experience working with attitudinal survey data and comparative analysis.
9. Ensure that all trainers and supervisors demonstrate creativity, competence, and sensitivity in delivering fieldwork training.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Methodology and Work Plan

• Detailed research plan and timeline.
• Methodological framework aligned with the 2015 survey to allow for comparison, but updated to reflect new approaches and best practices in LGBTI research.

Deliverable 2: Survey Instruments and Ethics Approval

• Final questionnaire, approved by the national reference group.
• Sampling frame and data collection mapping.
• Final training manual to be used with fieldworkers.
• Proof of ethical clearance issued by relevant South African authorities.bhek

Deliverable 3: Fieldwork and Data Collection

• Training of research supervisors and fieldworkers.
• Clean database of completed surveys (Excel, SPSS, etc).
• Documentation of quality control measures.ch

Deliverable 4: Final Reports

• Technical report summarizing fieldwork, successes, and challenges.
• A 30–40 page analytical report analysing the data, including a focused comparison of shifts between 2015 and 2025 data.

• Full anonymized dataset and metadata (Excel, SPSS, etc).

Conditions of the Consultancy

• Location: Applicants may be based anywhere in Southern Africa, but bust me able to implement the research in South Africa.
• Timeline: October 2025 – March 2026.
• Payment: Payments will be linked to the timely and satisfactory delivery of key milestones.

Reporting

The research team will report directly to the Research Officer of the Other Foundation and will coordinate closely with the national reference group at all stages of the project.

Submission Process and Timeline

• Deadline for submissions: Friday 3 October 2025 at 17h00 SAST.
• Notification of outcome: Friday 10 October 2025.
• Proposal requirements: Please submit a detailed proposal, including your methodology, budget, timeline, team composition and qualifications, and relevant experience.

Email submissions to: Caio de Araújo (cdearaujo@theotherfoundation.org) with the subject line: Proposal for South Africa Attitudinal Survey 2025.