By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africans are turning out in their numbers across the country, with more than 330000 voter registrations had been completed by midday on Saturday.
Addressing the media on the state of readiness in Pretoria on Thursday, IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo told media that the voters’ roll currently stands at 28 million registered voters, despite ongoing monthly reductions of approximately 34 000 due to mortality.
“The voters’ roll stood at 27.7 million during the 2024 General Elections. The online registration platform is proving to be a crucial element in the growth of the voters’ roll,” he said.
He said the Commission remains committed to delivering free, fair and credible elections.
Mamabolo urged all eligible citizens to play their part in strengthening South Africa’s constitutional democracy through active voter registration and participation.
He called on every voter to update their details, especially their address, as this will place them in the correct ward segment of the voters’ roll.
“Therefore, the voter registration weekend offers an opportunity to ensure that voters’ details are accurately captured and updated. There is no statutory mechanism to vote outside of the voting district in which voters are registered.”
IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi provided a midday update during a media briefing on Saturday.
He emphasised that the registration drive is aimed at allowing eligible South Africans to verify, register or update their details ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November.
The IEC opened all 23,706 voting stations nationwide on Saturday, with Sheburi saying that by 8 am almost 100% of stations had been confirmed open and operational.
He says in the few instances where voting stations did not open on time, delays were caused by community protests.
“The commission expresses its appreciation to the 48,212 electoral officials for ensuring that the registration operations commenced as planned, and that voters get a good experience when visiting the voting stations,” Sheburi said.
He also gave the number of voters registered by midday on Saturday.
“By midday, over 330,000 voter registration applications had been processed. Just over 300,000 transactions were processed on the VMD at voting stations. While 30,000 applications were on the online platform.”
“Predictably, provinces with population densities account for the majority of the transactions, with KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape recording the highest applications,” he said.
Registration stations will remain open until 5 pm on Saturday and will reopen on Sunday from 8 am.
Sheburi encouraged eligible voters to use the remaining hours of the registration weekend to register or update their details and secure their place on the voters’ roll.
The Commission wishes to remind South Africans that they should register in the area where they reside, as they will only be able to vote at the registered voting station.
Eligible citizens may also register online at registertovote.elections.org.za.
Voters can also verify registration details on the IEC app, by contacting the Commission’s contact centre on 0800 11 8000 or by sending their identity number via SMS to 32810.