Mandy Wiener interviews Professor Talita Greyling, welfare economist at the University of Johannesburg.

• South Africa is a depressed nation, more after the latest adjustment to lockdown regulations than at any time since the University of Johannesburg’s Gross National Happiness Index was created

• National mood improved after Constitutional Court sentenced former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison

South Africans have never been so upset, according to the University of Johannesburg’s Gross National Happiness Index.

Happiness levels hit an all-time high after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a tighter lockdown on Sunday.

However, the impending arrest of former President Jacob Zuma appears to have boosted the morale of the nation.

South Africa’s morale was measured at an all-time high after the Springboks won the World Cup in 2019.

Mandy Wiener interviewed Professor Talita Greyling, welfare economist at the University of Johannesburg (scroll up to listen).

Greyling measures national mood in real time by studying tweets.

We use… machine learning to analyze tweets for an underlying sentiment…

Professor Talita Greyling, Welfare Economist – University of Johannesburg

People are very concerned about the Covid… We see sadness… and worry about the slow deployment of vaccines… Then, all of a sudden, I saw the index go up! … President Zuma [sentenced to jail] … It was the surge that we saw…

Professor Talita Greyling, Welfare Economist – University of Johannesburg

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