South Africa’s voter roll has grown to more than 29 million registered voters, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) adding nearly 291,000 first-time voters during its August voter registration weekend.
The latest figures, announced by Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo, show that the country’s two national registration weekends held in June and August 2026 have collectively brought 754,332 new voters onto the electoral roll as preparations continue for the upcoming local government elections.
Since the 2024 national and provincial elections, the IEC has registered approximately 2.1 million additional voters, reflecting continued public participation in South Africa’s electoral process.
Registration weekends attract 1.7 million interactions
Mamabolo said around 1.7 million citizens interacted with the IEC during the registration weekend held on 1 and 2 August.
Of those interactions, 291,806 people registered as first-time voters, while 1,502,245 existing voters verified or updated their registration details to ensure they are assigned to the correct voting district.
The IEC reminded voters that local government elections require citizens to vote only at the voting station where they are registered within the ward in which they live.
Unlike national elections, local government elections do not allow voters to cast ballots outside their registered voting district.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of registration transactions with 427,592, followed by Gauteng (314,856) and the Eastern Cape (313,797).
Traditional registration stations remained the most widely used channel, processing more than 1.55 million transactions, while the IEC’s online voter registration portal handled 238,733 applications over the two-day period.
Young voters continue to drive registrations
The commission reported strong participation from younger South Africans, with people under the age of 30 accounting for a significant share of registration activity.
Overall, young voters generated 485,757 transactions, representing 26% of all interactions, while 46% of all first-time registrations came from people younger than 29.
KwaZulu-Natal again recorded the highest youth participation, followed by the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
Women accounted for the majority of registration activity, completing 1,005,790 transactions, or 56% of the total, compared with 788,261 transactions completed by men.
Following the completion of both registration weekends, the IEC said it has recorded nearly 4.7 million interactions with voters nationwide.
The commission is encouraging eligible South Africans who have not yet registered, or who need to update their voting details, to use the online voter registration portal before the official election proclamation deadline on 7 August.
Looking ahead, the IEC plans to further expand its digital services by introducing WhatsApp voter registration, supported by secure identity verification systems designed to protect the integrity of the national voters’ roll.
With voter registration weekends now concluded, the commission will shift its attention to implementing the formal election timetable once the date for the 2026 local government elections is officially proclaimed.
Mamabolo urged citizens not to delay registration until the final days, warning that last-minute demand often places unnecessary pressure on registration systems and could slow the process.
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)