IEC recorded 2.9-million voter registration transactions this weekend

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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reflected growth in its voters’ roll, announcing that it had 2.9-million voter registration hits over the past registration weekend.

This is an improvement from the 1.7-million voter registration transactions during the registration weekend in the previous municipal elections in 2021.

Story audio is generated using AI More than 70% of South Africans aged 18 and 19 who are eligible to vote have still not registered, the Electoral Commission (IEC) says. The IEC briefing on Thursday revealed they are gearing up to the voter registration weekend on Saturday and Sunday, while making an appeal to young people to register. The commission said it is fully prepared to welcome voters at 23,706 voting stations across the country as it seeks to grow and update the voters’ roll ahead of the 2026 local government elections. The IEC said it is particularly concerned about low registration levels among first-time voters. “Given that youth in the age category 18-19 years have not had multiple opportunities to enlist on the voters’ roll, and since they just become age eligible, over 70% in this age cohort are still to register,” it said. The commission urged all eligible youth, especially first-time voters, to seize this opportunity to register to participate in these elections. The commission said it will continue rolling out campaigns at tertiary institutions and through radio, television and social media platforms to encourage young people to register and participate It said its voters’ roll currently stands at 28-million registered voters, up from 27.7-million during the 2024 general elections. The commission credited its online registration platform for helping to grow the roll. All registration stations will operate from 8am to 5pm over the weekend. The commission has appointed and trained 48,212 registration staff for the weekend, including more than 34,400 unemployed qualified people who will gain temporary employment through the process. The IEC said efforts to attract young voters were already showing results. Through its tertiary institutions campaign, it said it reached 269,552 students by the end of March this year, with 158,446 of them registering as new voters. The commission said it will continue rolling out campaigns at tertiary institutions and through radio, television and social media platforms to encourage young people to register and participate. It also urged existing voters to verify and update their registration details, particularly their addresses, to ensure they are placed in the correct ward for the local government elections. South Africans who wish to register or update their details must present: a smart ID card; green barcoded ID book; or a valid temporary identity certificate. The IEC encouraged all eligible citizens to use the registration weekend to ensure they are ready to vote. TimesLIVE

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo hailed the registration drive as successful, saying that general voter registration drives before an election serve at least two purposes.

“The first is to enlist new entrants on the roll. The second is to enable registered voters to inspect their details, and if necessary, to update them to ensure that they are assigned to voting districts in the wards in which they reside. This is significant because in local government elections, there is no statutory opportunity for a voter to vote at a voting station in which they are not registered.“

It would seem the public, especially the youth, are broadly drawing the wrong lessons from the cataclysmic events of June 16 1976, which shattered lives, upended the politics of the country and almost certainly spelt the death knell for the apartheid regime. Instigated by schoolchildren infuriated by an obstinate regime that was determined to deliberately contaminate their young minds with inferior education, June 16 proved a pivotal, watershed moment in the long and arduous struggle for black emancipation. And a mere 14 years later, after the uprisings that started in Soweto and spread right across the country, the government — backed into a corner at home and abroad — unbanned its enemies and released all political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, and the country was irrevocably set on a course to majority rule. It is therefore appropriate that the new government honours an event of such enormous significance — mere schoolkids armed with nothing but stones facing up to a brutal regime armed to the teeth, a classic David and Goliath scenario — by declaring the date a public holiday. And it’s therefore become a ritual that every year during Youth Month we relive the unique events of June 16 and ponder how to properly honour those who made such sacrifices. This year, being the 50th anniversary, the commemorations understandably had a more significant tone. There were more rallies, more vacuous speeches and more promises — along with more demands. But I think we may be missing a trick. June 16, more than any other anniversary, has been turned into an occasion to moan about everything under the sun. It is a moment when the youth take centre stage to vent their frustrations. It’s almost as though they have an exclusive patent on the day. The youth of 1976 left them a promissory note, and all they have to do is cash it. And only they are entitled to. What the education system under the ANC government has succeeded in is ironically to perpetuate the divisions in society, this time by class, not race as before This is not to suggest that the youth have no problems. They’ve been lumbered with an atrocious education, almost as though designed to ruin lives, not by an apartheid regime but, to rub salt into the wound, by a government which professes, with a huge dose of enthusiasm, to be serving their interests. Those may be the lucky ones. What the education system under the ANC government has succeeded in is ironically to perpetuate the divisions in society, this time by class, not race as before. The rich, or parents who can afford to, have abandoned public schools in droves for private or former model C schools. Government schools, especially those in the townships and rural areas, have become synonymous with poor education — massive classes, lack of basic facilities, poorly trained and highly politicised teachers who don’t mind striking at the drop of a hat, among others. Children fall into pit latrines or are swept away in flooded rivers on their way to school. And there are, in this day and age, children who are still being taught under trees. It’s hard to believe that such disparities still exist after more than three decades of being told things are getting better. And those that emerge somewhat unscathed from this pernicious sausage machine — many fall by the wayside before matric — are immediately faced with the prospect of unemployment, chiefly because of an education system that has notoriously failed to prepare pupils for the job market and an economy that seems to be perpetually in reverse mode. As a result, unemployment among the young is the highest of any age group. But nothing that today’s youth are going through can compare with the horrendous experiences of their 1976 counterparts. They were really up against it. They had to overcome the fear that had paralysed their parents for as long as they’d lived. Armed only with the exuberance of youth and a burning passion for a better education, they had to confront a regime that wasn’t prepared to give an inch. “Shoot to kill!” Jimmy Kruger ordered his trigger-happy stormtroopers. Many were mowed down. Others, with “the system” in hot pursuit, fled into exile, to land in the grateful embrace of liberation movements. But some got more than they’d bargained for, killed not by the enemy but by their newfound idols, and therefore never to return to the beloved land they sought to liberate. Young people can change their lot for the better, and the trajectory of the country, if only they would care to vote That’s their legacy. They fought and sacrificed so that those who came after them should not wage similar struggles. What the youth have to face now is not bullets from a heartless regime but lies and empty promises from those who claim to be their generous benefactors. But the problems are not unique to young people. The country as a whole is confronted by unemployment, poor education, crime, corruption, collapsing infrastructure … the list is endless. And the source is the same — and so is the solution. It’s an incompetent government that’s been misfiring with steely determination for as long as it’s been in power. To win the support of young people, it’s created structures such as the National Youth Development Agency, which has done absolutely nothing except provide cushy jobs for those connected to the ruling party. Young people can change their lot for the better, and the trajectory of the country, if only they would care to vote. And it would save them the trouble of gnashing their teeth every year in June. Youth apathy is an inexplicable conundrum. It’s not as if they aren’t mindful of the importance of the vote. Most of them don’t seem to care. They have better things to do with their lives. This week the IEC was again bemoaning the fact that not many young people have bothered to register for the November 4 local government elections. If you don’t vote, you forfeit the right to complain or criticise when things go wrong. It’s also a betrayal of the sacrifices made by those you claim to be your heroes. The June 16 generation played their part. It’s surely not too much to ask to expect you to play yours. To paraphrase one famous gentleman: Don’t moan. Vote.

According to the CEO, they also aim to ensure that eligible South Africans are registered and correctly assigned to their respective voting districts.

After this past registration weekend, the total number of registered voters is 28.5-million.

Out of the 2.9-million registrations recorded, 477,174 were first-time registrations. This accounted for 16% of the total registration activity.

The commission also revealed that voters who inspected and updated their details account for 2.4-million, which is 84% of the total activity.

Story audio is generated using AI The November local government elections will take place in the “most challenging and tough” pre-electoral climate of the last 30 years, characterised by high levels of pessimism, frustration and disengagement with the political process, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) says. These were the conclusions from a face-to-face IEC survey conducted between October 2025 and February 2026, which align with the findings of several other surveys of public political sentiment. The country will go to the polls on November 4 with the first registration weekend scheduled for June 20-21. Political parties will be vying for 10,439 seats, with more than 100,000 prospective candidates being put up by more than 500 registered political parties. Briefing a joint meeting of the home affairs committee and the select committee of security and justice, IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi noted there was widespread disillusionment with political leadership, leading to growing demands for more decisive, authoritarian approaches to government. Survey participants indicated that they would vote if socioeconomic conditions improved “Many respondents feel betrayed by broken promises and pervasive corruption, leading them to believe voting is meaningless,” Sheburi said. A number of survey participants called for new, younger and more honest leaders to replace the current ones. They indicated that they would vote if socioeconomic conditions improved. “Dissatisfaction with democratic functioning and local service delivery has deepened, contributing to a softening commitment to key democratic norms such as the perceived importance of free and fair elections,” he told MPs. Sheburi said the 2026 local government elections were likely to be “highly competitive, low trust and high risk”, taking place in the context of sustained public frustration with the status quo. Dissatisfaction with the way democracy is functioning has risen sharply, from 63% of people expressing happiness with democracy in 2004 to 68% expressing dissatisfaction in 2025/26. But there was nevertheless a high proportion of the electorate (62%) who believed it was a national duty of citizens to vote. Sheburi said confidence in core political institutions, especially the national government and parliament, had weakened further with trust indicators at historic lows, including for the IEC itself. Trust in the national government had declined from 69% in 2004 to 19% in 2026, and in parliament from 65% to 20% over that period, while trust in local government had fallen from 55% to 18%. Trust in political parties has declined to 11% from 42% in 2005. Trust in the IEC has fallen to 32% among the total population from 74% previously, but among voters the trust level was 85%. Asked whether they would vote if an election were held imminently, 64% said yes on certain conditions such as the responsiveness of political parties, down from 76% in 2015. The highest intention to vote was recorded in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Respondents to the survey had low expectations of political responsiveness and delivery, which shaped voter behaviour, with disillusionment emerging as the primary driver of non-registration and intended abstention. These signs of diminishing trust dated back to the mid-2000s, intensifying during the 2010s. Voter turnout has declined from 58% in 2016 to 46% in 2021. There were clear signs of an electoral divide between contented voters and disengaged, discontented non-voters. Business Day

Mamabolo said the commission noted the collaborative efforts by various political parties to marshal South Africans towards registration.

“We wish to acknowledge political parties, local community leaders and prospective candidates’ efforts in assisting voters to register on the online portal as well as at the registration stations.”

The commission reported that it is still processing about 30,000 pending online registrations emanating from this weekend regarding registration applications received.

“The applications are pending primarily due to the quality of the ID image voters uploaded. Our teams will process those transactions, and if necessary, affected voters will be contacted.”

The CEO reminded citizens who have not yet registered that the online voter registration portal will remain available until the official proclamation of the 2026 local government elections.

Story audio is generated using AI Political parties used the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) voter registration weekend to campaign for the November local elections. President Cyril Ramaphosa, dressed in ANC regalia, and senior Gauteng ANC heavyweights such as premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC Lebogang Maile participated in a door-to-door voter registration drive in Tshwane where they handed out ANC merchandise and encouraged people to vote for the party in November. Elsewhere in SA, other political parties also used the opportunity of the voter registration drive weekend to win support. Ramaphosa met with 22-year-old Ofentse Zobane, who was being helped to register to vote. She told him during their brief interaction that she could not pursue a nursing career, as she received low marks for her 2020 matric results. Addressing the media, Ramaphosa said: “Service delivery here in Atteridgeville is not a big challenge because the municipality is doing very well. And the councillor that I have been going around with is well known, and she attends to the problems of the community. “The ANC support here is quite solid; I have met many people — old, young and middle-aged — who are all very supportive of the ANC, so I go away from here feeling very encouraged.” An IEC official at the Atteridgeville voting station near where Ramaphosa was campaigning told Sowetan that the turnout of young people at the weekend had not been that impressive. “Yesterday we had about seven; today so far it’s around five, but also during the 2024 general vote registration we saw a low turnout of those who came to register, but the number was high during elections, so it tells you that they register digitally,” she said. Ahead of the voter registration weekend, the IEC noted that 70% of eligible youths aged 18 to 19 had not yet registered to vote. The IEC said on social media on Sunday that 330,000 people had registered to vote for the first time since Saturday morning. Its data showed KwaZulu-Natal leading, followed by Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. Meanwhile, the IEC warned the public about a fake job recruitment notice and other misleading election-related content circulating on social media and messaging platforms. The commission urged the public to remain vigilant and stressed that it does not use unofficial websites, WhatsApp numbers, or “link in bio” social media posts to advertise or process job applications. All legitimate employment opportunities are only advertised through the Electoral Commission’s official website, it said. Sowetan

Mamabolo said the commission will embark on more initiatives to expand voter access before the elections, which include the zero-rating of the online voter registration portal.

“This will allow all eligible South Africans to register, update their details and verify their registration information without incurring data charges.”

The electoral commission will also host a second voter registration weekend, which will take place on August 1 and 2.

“This additional weekend will provide opportunities for citizens to register and update their details at registration stations nationwide.”

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