More than 1.7 million South Africans engaged with the Electoral Commission over the past weekend, pushing the national voters’ roll past 29 million ahead of local government elections scheduled for 4 November.

The registration drive, held on 1 and 2 August across 23 699 stations nationwide, saw 291 806 people register to vote for the first time, while 1.5 million voters updated their registration details.

The commission said the high turnout reflects growing awareness that voters must register in the voting district where they live, as local government elections do not allow voting outside one’s registered station.

Youth and provincial performance

Young people aged 16 to 29 accounted for 485 757 transactions, representing 26% of total activity. Of the new registrations, 46% came from voters under 29.

KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest registration activity with 427 592 transactions, followed by Gauteng with 314 856 and the Eastern Cape with 313 797. The Northern Cape had the lowest uptake at 47 306.

Female voters made up 56% of total registration activity, continuing an established trend of higher female representation on the voters’ roll.

WhatsApp registration introduced

The Electoral Commission announced a new WhatsApp registration platform to expand access before the registration period closes at midnight on 7 August. The service uses secure identity verification, including OTP authentication and ID document uploads.

The online voter registration portal contributed 238 733 transactions over the weekend, with Gauteng recording the highest online usage at 86 492, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 41 334.

Registration station-based applications remain the dominant method, accounting for 1.55 million of the 1.7 million transactions.

Road to November elections

The two registration weekends held in June and August collectively added 754 332 new voters to the roll. Since the 2024 general elections, 2.1 million new voters have been registered, despite 884 000 being removed mainly due to mortality estimated at 34 000 people per month.

The commission said it will brief media on proclamation day 7 August, outlining the election timetable and key statutory deadlines leading to voting day.

More than 93 independent candidates and 87 political parties have begun using the online candidate nomination system ahead of the nomination period.

Eligible voters who missed the registration weekend can still use the online portal or WhatsApp line 0600 088 000 before Friday’s deadline. The commission urged people not to wait until the last minute to avoid pressure on registration channels.

Voters can check their registration status by SMS to 32810 or call the contact centre on 0800 11 8000.

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