This article uses data collected across the four Waves of the National
Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) to construct a measure of social cohesion
for South Africa. We compare our index to one derived using the
Afrobarometer data and find a large degree of consistency in trends in
the index and its constituent components over time across the two
datasets. However, there is less consistency in the measures once one
moves to lower levels of geographic disaggregation. We also find far
less variability in the constructed index relying on NIDS panel data as
opposed to the repeated cross-sections from Afrobarometer. Having
derived the index, we then correlate it with a variety of indicators of
social and economic well-being. We show that higher levels of education,
per capita income and employment are positively associated with
higher social cohesion whilst social cohesion is negatively associated
with poverty, service delivery protest and perceptions of crime. In addition,
municipal policy and competence are closely associated with higher
social cohesion. Whilst this work is exploratory, it is encouraging, and
suggests new opportunities for future research to begin to take the link
between social cohesion and economic and social development seriously.