Do You Want My Vote?

The report examines why young South Africans (18-24) engage with or withdraw from the democratic process, highlighting a significant gap in voter registration between 18-19 year olds (33%) and 20-29 year olds (64%). It argues that youth disengagement is not driven by apathy, but by frustration over socio-economic challenges, corruption, and a lack of trust in government responsiveness. While many view voting as important, a growing segment feels alienated from formal politics, leading to a decline in loyalty to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and a shift toward alternative parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) or non-electoral forms of protest.

• Young South Africans are increasingly frustrated by persistent socio-economic challenges, specifically high unemployment, poor education, and inadequate infrastructure such as housing.
• Corruption among the political elite and a lack of accountability for senior officials negatively impact youth participation in democratic processes.
• There is a significant trust deficit between young people and the government, characterized by a feeling that the state is non-responsive to their demands.
• Many young people feel incompetent or intimidated by the complexity of politics, which acts as a barrier to their engagement.
• There is a decline in partisan attachment to the ruling African National Congress (ANC), though young people also express dissatisfaction with other available political options.
• Voter registration levels show a sharp increase as youth age, with only 33% of 18-19 year olds registered compared to 64% of those aged 20-29.
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have seen significant success with the youth demographic, accounting for 49% of their supporters in 2014.
• Social media is identified as a critical platform for engaging youth and understanding their political perceptions, as evidenced by the growth of the Youth Vote South Africa (YVSA) page.

APA

Tracey, L. (2016). Do You Want My Vote? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono193-1.pdf

Chicago

Tracey, Lauren. Do You Want My Vote? Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono193-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tracey |first1=Lauren |title=Do You Want My Vote? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono193-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tracey2016you, author = {Tracey, Lauren}, title = {{Do You Want My Vote?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono193-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }