South Africa has been voted as the friendliest place on Earth

According to a study by Remitly, a company based in Seattle, South Africa topped their list of the friendliest nations, scoring an 34,63 out of 40 on the “agreeableness” trait of the Big 5 Personality Test.

Greeks were found to be the second-friendliest people in the world, scoring 33,71 on the test.

The UK ranked as the 18th friendliest nation in the study, but is perceived as the second friendliest by residents of other nations.

The study consisted of over 3 000 participants from around the globe, who had to answer a series of questions from the “agreeableness” section of the Big 5 Personality Test.

Whether you’re visiting a destination for the first time or moving to a new country to start an exciting new chapter of your life, the friendliness of the people you meet makes a difference to your experience and leaves a lasting impression on your time there.

The study added that Big 5 personality test is based on the scientific “Big Five” model of the five key personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.

Respondents were asked questions to determine how much concern they feel for others, whether they take the time out for other people and whether they like to make people feel at ease.

Each question was presented as a statement with respondents asked to say whether they disagree, slightly disagree, were neutral, slightly agree or agree with the statement in question.

The study added that the higher their scores, the more they are deemed to be friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others.

People who score highly in this section of the test value getting along with others and have an optimistic view of human nature, meaning they’re likely to be warm and friendly to those they meet.

South Africa managed to secure the top spot, with the study saying that there are many compelling reasons for people to visit or even relocate to the country.

“Situated on the southernmost point of Africa between two oceans, South Africa is a beautiful and diverse country and provides plenty of compelling reasons to move there. One of the major advantages of living in the country is the affordable cost of living where the South African rand stretches far, with housing and everyday expenses allowing for a higher standard of living.

“It also has an incredible array of wildlife to see, and a warm climate helping residents to enjoy and explore the long stretches of beautiful coastline,” read the study.

The study added that South Africans are known for being warm and welcoming, making it easy for travellers and visitors alike to feel at ease around them.

“It’s not uncommon to be greeted by polite strangers while walking down the street, and South Africans are generally happy to socialise, by engaging in conversations and showing off their good humour, making plenty of jokes.

“An added plus point is that there are eleven official languages spoken in South Africa (English, Afrikaans and nine ethnic languages), meaning that there are plentiful ways to communicate with the locals and make new friends,” stated the study.

MJ Steyn, who is currently staying in Sohar, Oman, said she, through her travels, has found that South Africa and South Africans in general are a lot friendlier.

“The way that people smile at you and talk to you does not happen in other countries.

“That is one of the things I miss,” she said.