As part of 041Online’s partnership with Fineprint to spotlight emerging young voices, this piece looks at one of the biggest paradoxes in South Africa’s democracy: although young people make up the largest share of the population, they remain the smallest voting bloc at the ballot box.
Nonjabulo Ndovela
At a time when young South Africans make up the largest share of the population, they remain one of the smallest voting blocs at the ballot box. On 12 August 2025, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa hosted a Youth Thought Leadership Session in East London under the theme Youth Participation – Understanding the Imbalance in Youth and Gender Participation. The event brought together experts, researchers and youth leaders to unpack why young people, particularly males, are less likely to vote, while women consistently show higher turnout rates yet remain underrepresented in political leadership.
In the 2024 national and provincial elections, women constituted 55% of registered voters and 58% of voter turnout, yet only 43% of elected positions, a trend that aligns with global patterns. Women play an important role in electoral administration, comprising over 51% of permanent IEC staff and 73% of election officials. The discussion aimed to identify the factors contributing to these disparities and strategies to encourage youth and male participation in voting and political leadership.
Professor Joleen Steyn-Kotze, Chief Research Specialist at Human Science Research Council, highlighted barriers to participation in voting, including economic hardship, gender norms, safety concerns, and limited access to opportunities. She emphasiszed the importance of emotional factors like hope, happiness, and perceived life improvements as crucial motivators. Citing the 2023 South African Social Attitude Survey, Prof. noted the growing dissatisfaction and distrust towards political elites has significantly weakened engagement.
Aviwe Mbambo, Ph.HD. Candidate & Local Electoral Projects Officer at IEC, discussed the potential of electronic voting (e-voting) to enhance election moderniszation and appeal to younger voters. She mentioned two types of e-voting:, controlled environment e-voting and uncontrolled environment e-voting. Aviwe indicated studies showing a 10-15% increase in turnout among youth when e-voting is used. However, South Africa’s infrastructure challenges, including loadshedding and the digital divide, require custom-made solutions. Public consultations are being conducted to ensure that any e-voting model strikes a balance between accessibility, security, and trust.
Mbasa Mvenene, Political Studies Lecturer at Walter Sisulu University, emphasiszed the paradox of South Africa’s youth, who make up about 60% of the population but are being underrepresented in formal politics. He cited movements such as #FeesMustFall as a proof of young power but warned thate social media activism cannot replace voting. Many young people, he said, prioritisze solid socio-economic benefits, including jobs and housing over democratic ideals, with some willing to trade voting rights for development promises. “Let us take control, we are dominant. As a youth we need solidarity to drive change,” said Mbasa.
Craig Bailie, Founding Director of Bailie Leadership Consultancy, focused on the cultural and societal dimensions of political engagement. He argued that democracy building is not the IEC’s task alone, but it requires families, educators, civil society and faith-based institutions to instill a culture of participation. The perception of politics as “dirty business” among youth and churches contributes to disengagement, which is compounded by unemployment, poor education and poverty.
The session concluded that boosting participation requires more than technical solutions like e-voting;, it demands long-term cultural, social and economic interventions. Thus, strengthening South Africa’s democracy requires addressing structural inequality, fostering political trust and ensuring visible change through democratic participation.
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