By Eric Mthobeli Naki at The Citizen
- Young voters drove registration growth, with 379 767 people aged 16 to 29 accounting for 80% of the 477 174 new voters added to the roll during the latest IEC registration weekend.
- South Africa’s voters’ roll has grown to 28.5 million, up from 27.7 million in 2024, with the IEC attributing the increase to youth-focused campaigns, online registration, and the use of voting management devices (VMDs).
- Another registration weekend is set for 1 and 2 August, while the IEC’s online registration and candidate nomination systems remain open ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
South Africa’s youth have re-energised the country’s democratic process, flooding the voters’ roll in preparation for the 4 November local government elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced.
The latest registration figures show a striking revival of enthusiasm among young people, who now make up the overwhelming majority of new registrants captured at the weekend.
Nearly half of young voters used online portal
According to the IEC, of the 477 174 new voters who registered at the weekend, 379 767, or 80%, were aged between 16 and 29.
Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo announced the figures at a media briefing, saying the overall voters’ roll had grown to 28.5 million, from 27.7 million in 2024.
Mamabolo attributed the increase to efficiencies introduced by voting management devices (VMDs), which speeded up registration applications, and the convenience of the online registration portal.
“The figures indicate that youth-focused campaigns are finding resonance with young persons and that, far from being apathetic, young people are responding positively,” he said.
Over the two day registration round, 2.9 million voters were registered – a sharp improvement from the 1.7 million recorded during the 2021 local government election registration.
VMDs handle 2.5 million transactions
VMDs were the dominant registration channel, accounting for 2.5 million transactions. Of all registrants, 88% visited voting stations, while 12% used the online portal.
Among youth aged 16 to 29, nearly half (48%) opted for online self registration, reflecting their preference for digital platforms.
Provincial figures mirrored population densities. KwaZuluNatal recorded the most number of registrations at 691 504 (23%), followed by the Eastern Cape at 534 773 (18%) and Gauteng at 502 229 (17%).
These numbers underscore the link between population size and registration activity, Mamabolo said.
He also announced that a second registration weekend would take place on 1 and 2 August, offering citizens another opportunity to register or update their details.
Second registration on 1 and 2 August
“Both these initiatives form part of efforts to remove barriers to participation and strengthen electoral inclusion,” he said.
The IEC further confirmed that its online candidate registration system is now live to enable political parties and prospective independent candidates to capture nominations and supporter information.
Meanwhile, the commission promised to process about 30 000 pending online applications, delayed primarily due to poor-quality ID images uploaded by voters.
Mamabolo assured that IEC teams would resolve these cases and contact the affected voters if necessary.
He said that the online portal would remain open until the official proclamation of the 2026 local government elections, also saying that the online portal is zero-rated, allowing citizens to register and update their details without using data.
This article was republished from The Citizen.
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