Voter registration at 64%, four months before elections

After the registration weekend on 20 and 21 June, there were 28.5-million people on the voters’ roll. That’s about 64% of people in South Africa who are 18 years and older.

The percentage has not increased since the last government elections in 2021, when there were 26.2-million people and about 40.6-million eligible voters.

There are, however, more people on the voters’ roll than the 27.7-million people who were registered for the 2024 national election.

Nearly three million people participated in the recent registration weekend, but most people were just updating their details. Only about 477,000 people were registering for the first time.

Between 2000 and 2016, the percentage of eligible voters registered to vote grew from 69% to 70%, before dropping in 2021 and 2026.

The drop in voter turnout has been even more stark. About 48% of registered voters took part in the 2000 and 2006 local government elections. Almost 58% voted in 2011 and 2016. In 2021, only 46% voted.

People aged 18 to 19 had the highest voter turnout of all age groups in 2021: 71% of those who were registered cast their vote. But they were also the least likely to register, with only about 15% of people in that age group registered, compared to 30% in 2005.

The proportion of people aged 20 to 34 who are registered to vote has been declining, and this age group was also the least likely to vote in 2021. Voter turnout was 35% for those aged 20 to 29, and 26% for those aged 29 to 30.

Register to vote or update your details by visiting the IEC’s website.

Chart by The Outlier, in partnership with GroundUp

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