South Africa's IEC reports 238,000 voter registrations in final weekend

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said more than 238,000 voter‑registration transactions were processed by midday on Saturday during the final in‑person registration weekend for the 2026 Local Government Elections. Over 99% of the 23,699 voting stations opened on time, with the majority of interactions being updates by existing voters; new registrations accounted for about 13.4% (roughly 30,000). The highest volumes were recorded in KwaZulu‑Natal (55,759), the Eastern Cape (46,889) and Gauteng (41,774).

IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo urged citizens to use the remaining hours before the 5 p.m. deadline on Sunday, noting that the voter roll will close at midnight on the day the election date is officially proclaimed. The Department of Home Affairs extended its office hours to assist with identity documents. An online, data‑free registration portal recorded 20,078 transactions but experienced occasional delays due to high demand.

In eThekwini, the IEC regional manager highlighted a disappointing turnout of young voters, with only 5,889 new registrations among 16‑ to 35‑year‑olds. To protect the election’s integrity, the IEC announced it will introduce an additional electoral code of conduct aimed at countering disinformation ahead of the November 4 local government elections.