By Nontokozo Gemani
- South Africa has more than 21-million young people under 35 years old, and most of them refuse to vote today.
- The Independent Electoral Commission hopes its new online registration system will encourage more young people to join the upcoming elections.
Millions of young South Africans are choosing to stay away from the voting stations because they do not trust politicians.
South Africa will hold local government elections between November 2026 and February 2027.
The country has more than 21-million people between the ages of 15 and 34. This makes young people the biggest group of voters. But they vote the least.
Many young people say politicians do not care about their struggles with unemployment and the high cost of living.
Zamokuhle Moloi, a 23-year-old from Gauteng, registered twice but never voted.
“I am not sure who to vote for. Sometimes it feels like none of the parties really speak to what I care about,” she said.
Instead of voting, many young people choose to protest and complain on social media.
Political analyst Tessa Dooms said young people are tired of voting because it does not bring change to their communities.
“It’s not that young people don’t care about the country. It’s that voting has not produced the results they hoped for,” she said.
Dooms said about 14-million young South Africans are not registered to vote. She said older leaders make most decisions. In 2021, only 15% of chosen councillors were under 35.
But the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has seen a small change.
IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said a new online system makes it easier for young people to register on their phones.
He said most of the roughly 200,000 people who registered since November are young.
The IEC wants more young people to register early and make voting a habit.
Pictured above: Casting a vote.
Image source: ActionSA
