Young people have expressed frustration over the high unemployment rate, which stood at 46.1% in the second quarter of 2025. Poor service delivery, the behaviour of political parties and their leaders, widespread corruption, and a general disbelief in the ability of democratic institutions to fulfil their promises have all contributed to voter apathy at a municipal level.  This article surveys the views of over 30 individuals aged 18 to 24 about local government in Sgodi-phola, located in Mofolo North, Soweto, Johannesburg. It also relies on the inputs from young people who attended a thought leadership Summit of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Durban in December, 2025. It establishes that youth voter participation continues to decline despite intensified civic education and digital outreach initiatives. Furthermore, deeper structural challenges such as inequality, unemployment, corruption, and lack of responsive governance need to be addressed to achieve sustained youth political participation.

Background

Like many black townships in South Africa, Soweto faces socio-political and economic challenges rooted in the spatial segregation established during the apartheid era. Apartheid forced Black people into marginalised areas, limiting their access to economic and educational opportunities and creating significant spatial and economic disparities. Many of these challenges persist today, leading residents to resort to violent protests to pressure authorities into addressing ongoing service delivery failures, including housing, water, sanitation, electricity, and education.

Democracy is leaving the youth behind

These challenges mainly affect the youth, classified as individuals aged between 15 and 34 years, a vital demographic that accounts for about a third of the total population of 63 million. While post-1994 youth did not experience the physical horrors of apartheid directly, many still feel its impact in their townships' living conditions. Indeed, many young people across the country feel let down by public institutions and political leaders. For example, in Sgodi-phola, the youth have expressed a deep sense of hopelessness about their future.

The lack of development opportunities has worsened poverty levels, forcing many residents to rely on the Social Relief of Distress Grant. Many young people claim that when development opportunities arise at the local government level, officials often reserve them for close friends and family. This practice has created a growing disconnect between residents, their local councillors, and the public institutions meant to represent them. Additionally, youth across South Africa have voiced concerns that a decline in political integrity is fuelling corruption and greed in government contracting and tender processes.

The road to elections

As the IEC prepares for the 2026 local elections, political experts warn that if young people do not participate in voting, the country's democracy could be at risk, following a concerning global trend. Voting is a fundamental act of civic engagement that enables individuals to participate in electoral democracy. The minimum voting age is 18, but potential voters can register starting at 16 years old. Previous election participation figures are troubling. IEC statistics reveal that overall voter turnout in local government elections dropped from 58% in 2016 to 46% in 2021, indicating increased voter apathy across age groups. In the last local election in 2021, only 15% of eligible voters aged 18 to 21 registered to vote. Voter turnout serves as a key indicator of a democracy's health, reflecting levels of civic engagement and political participation.

Low youth representation in municipal councils

The IEC also reported that individuals aged between 20 and 39 made up 31% of all councillors in South Africa after the 2021 local government elections. Youth representation is vital to ensure young people remain involved in decision-making processes that affect their lives and communities. While seeing youth in Parliament is encouraging, their influence remains insufficient to significantly shape South Africa’s future.

Time to introspect

The IEC is expected to build on previous civic and democracy education campaigns aimed at attracting young voters. To this end, the IEC has intensified its voter registration and education initiatives to better engage young people at schools and tertiary institutions. Additionally, the IEC employs the Digital Campaigns Programme and the General Community Outreach and Mobilisation Programme to target youth audiences on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, X, WhatsApp, TikTok, LinkedIn, and digital news outlets, providing voter education for young people. However, these efforts are still insufficient. Evidence indicates that, despite a widening digital divide, a significant number of young people are online due to the prevalence of social media. In online spaces, content creators and influencers dominate, often appealing to youth, especially in urban areas, through instant gratification and self-promotion.

During a recent thought leadership Summit held by the IEC in Durban, young attendees proposed several ideas to make voting "cool" again. Suggestions included utilising influencers and digital engagement strategies to boost voter turnout, leveraging existing digital platforms created by youth, such as the AI-powered educational platform LUMA LEARN, to enhance voter outreach, and integrating an AI chatbot into IEC systems to address questions from potential voters, particularly regarding the safety of their personal information.

For those who are offline, the IEC, government, and civil society must address the digital divide by increasing internet access, lowering data costs, introducing free online platforms for youth, and building on the success of digital voting systems already in use at various universities across the country. Additionally, the youth emphasised the importance of ensuring that participation initiatives occur between elections. The need to engage in policy discussions about automatic registration and taking strong measures to encourage young people to register has also been proposed in order to reverse the current decline in voter participation.

It is important to highlight, however, that while technology can be a powerful tool for addressing certain aspects of socio-economic issues, it cannot solve complex, systemic issues deeply rooted in political, historical, and structural inequalities. This needs absolute political will, structural reforms and community-focused empowerment projects.  To address corruption and the lack of service delivery, which contribute to youth disillusionment, young people in Sgodi-phola and the Durban gathering  proposed that the government should foster partnerships with the private sector. These collaborations would aim to improve access to education and skills training for youth in townships.

Additionally, they call for an end to perceived unfair employment practices, such as favouritism in hiring processes. Local councillors were also urged to listen to their communities' needs and concerns.

Conclusion

Considering the ongoing socio-political and economic challenges faced by young South Africans, regaining their valuable votes will not be easy. The situation in Sgodi-phola is not unique; it reflects a broader trend of declining youth participation in South Africa and beyond, much like the concerns raised by young people in Durban.

The IEC at the end of 2025 was also exploring the possibility of implementing e-voting to enhance the overall voter experience and potentially encourage more young people to vote. However, this initiative is not expected to be implemented for the 2026 local elections. Young people recognise the need for more innovative digital tools to strengthen civic engagement and motivate their participation. Ultimately, they have called for inclusive participation systems that work for them and with them. Nonetheless, South Africa’s youth have a new opportunity to shape their future and influence decision-making processes meaningfully by participating in the upcoming municipal elections.

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Maxwell Maseko is a research fellow at the Tayarisha African Centre of Excellence in Digital Governance, located in the Wits School of Governance, Johannesburg.