The Electoral Commission (IEC) says South Africans responded to the call to register and update their voter details ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, with 2.9 million registration transactions recorded during the voter registration weekend.
The Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said the turnout reaffirmed the nation’s strong and enduring commitment to electoral participation.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Monday, Mamabolo said the Commission had achieved two significant objectives during this voter registration weekend, including the continued growth of the voters’ roll and improved registration yield from young persons.
“Over the two voter registration days, the Commission recorded 2.9 million registration transactions. This is an improvement from the 1.7 million transactions recorded during the voter registration weekend for the comparable election in 2021,” Mamabolo said.
He said the ongoing drive to ensure that eligible South Africans are registered and correctly assigned to their respective voting districts has increased the total number of registered voters to 28.5 million.
“Placed in context, the voters’ roll used in NPE2024 [National and Provincial Elections] contained 27.7 million voters. In between elections, the roll reduces by 34 000 voters per month, owing principally to mortality. Consequently, since NPE2024, 1.3 million voters were lost from the roll.
“The increase in the voters’ roll is attributable to, amongst others, the efficiencies introduced by Voting Management Devices (VMDs), which have significantly enhanced the speed of processing voter registration applications, as well as the convenience of the online registration portal,” he said.
The Commission acknowledged 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.
Mamabolo explained that of the total 2.9 million recorded transactions, 477 174 were first time registrations, accounting for 16% of the total registration activity and voters who inspected and updated their details account for 2.4 million, which represents 84% of the total activity.
“The Commission is encouraged by the positive response of young persons. Young people in the age cohort 16 to 29 accounted for 785 078 of total registration activity, which represents 27% of the total 2.9 million transactions.
“Of the 785 078, 59% are female, while males represent 41%. Young persons have also dominated the new registration category. Of the total new registrations (477 174), 379 767 or 80% are young people in the age cohort between 16 and 29.
“The figures indicate that the youth-focused campaign is finding resonance with young persons and that far from it, young people are not apathetic,” he said.
Mamabolo said the VMDs at registration stations were the predominant channel of registration, with over 2.5 million (88%) of the voters opting to visit a voting station.
“On the other hand, 362 296 (representing 12% of total registration activity) transacted through the online registration portal. The age cohort 16 - 29 account for 48% of online self-registrations. This is consistent with the trend of young people's dominant use of this registration channel,” he said.
The highest volumes of registration transactions coincide with population densities. The highest was recorded in Kwa-Zulu Natal (691 504) representing 23%, followed by the Eastern Cape (534 773), representing 18% and Gauteng (502 229), representing 17%.
Mamabolo said the total website visits recorded during the two-day registration period were 12 million.
Citizens who have not yet registered are reminded that the Online Voter Registration Portal will remain available until the official proclamation of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said the turnout reaffirmed the nation’s strong and enduring commitment to electoral participation.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Monday, Mamabolo said the Commission had achieved two significant objectives during this voter registration weekend, including the continued growth of the voters’ roll and improved registration yield from young persons.
“Over the two voter registration days, the Commission recorded 2.9 million registration transactions. This is an improvement from the 1.7 million transactions recorded during the voter registration weekend for the comparable election in 2021,” Mamabolo said.
He said the ongoing drive to ensure that eligible South Africans are registered and correctly assigned to their respective voting districts has increased the total number of registered voters to 28.5 million.
“Placed in context, the voters’ roll used in NPE2024 [National and Provincial Elections] contained 27.7 million voters. In between elections, the roll reduces by 34 000 voters per month, owing principally to mortality. Consequently, since NPE2024, 1.3 million voters were lost from the roll.
“The increase in the voters’ roll is attributable to, amongst others, the efficiencies introduced by Voting Management Devices (VMDs), which have significantly enhanced the speed of processing voter registration applications, as well as the convenience of the online registration portal,” he said.
The Commission acknowledged 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.
Mamabolo explained that of the total 2.9 million recorded transactions, 477 174 were first time registrations, accounting for 16% of the total registration activity and voters who inspected and updated their details account for 2.4 million, which represents 84% of the total activity.
“The Commission is encouraged by the positive response of young persons. Young people in the age cohort 16 to 29 accounted for 785 078 of total registration activity, which represents 27% of the total 2.9 million transactions.
“Of the 785 078, 59% are female, while males represent 41%. Young persons have also dominated the new registration category. Of the total new registrations (477 174), 379 767 or 80% are young people in the age cohort between 16 and 29.
“The figures indicate that the youth-focused campaign is finding resonance with young persons and that far from it, young people are not apathetic,” he said.
Mamabolo said the VMDs at registration stations were the predominant channel of registration, with over 2.5 million (88%) of the voters opting to visit a voting station.
“On the other hand, 362 296 (representing 12% of total registration activity) transacted through the online registration portal. The age cohort 16 - 29 account for 48% of online self-registrations. This is consistent with the trend of young people's dominant use of this registration channel,” he said.
The highest volumes of registration transactions coincide with population densities. The highest was recorded in Kwa-Zulu Natal (691 504) representing 23%, followed by the Eastern Cape (534 773), representing 18% and Gauteng (502 229), representing 17%.
Mamabolo said the total website visits recorded during the two-day registration period were 12 million.
Citizens who have not yet registered are reminded that the Online Voter Registration Portal will remain available until the official proclamation of the 2026 Local Government Elections.