The Western Cape appears to have the highest youth voter engagement, and people who find themselves as minorities in a region tend to be more engaged across the country.
A survey conducted by Murmur Intelligence on young people's inclination to vote in the 2024 general election indicates a persistent disillusionment with the political system, a key factor contributing to voter apathy. Although some argue that voting is the only means to change the political system, this perspective does not seem to resonate strongly with disillusioned youth.
Despite being the largest demographic group in South Africa,young people are underrepresented in the country's voting population.Recognizing this, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) launched acampaign aimed at attracting more youth to the polling stations.
The survey, conducted in October, interviewed over 500individuals aged 17 to 24 across the country, providing insights into thethought processes of young voters as they contemplate registering and castingtheir ballots. The main aim was to discover the leading causes of voter apathyamong the youth.
Historically, young voter turnout has been low, as indicatedby a 2020 study showing that only 19% of eligible 18- and 19-year-oldsregistered for the 2019 national election, with 15% casting their vote. Among20- to 29-year-olds, only 30% voted.
Dissatisfaction with the current economic situation was a common concern but didn't necessarily translate into a heightened intention to vote. Unfulfilled election promises were another major factor. Besides disillusionment, other drivers of voter apathy included empty promises difficulty in choosing a political party when none seemed appealing, and a lack of community development.
The survey findings highlighted that education plays asignificant role in predicting voting intent: lack of tertiary education was amajor correlate of apathy, which was more prevalent among black voters. Incontrast, higher education and participation in the formal economy correlatedwith higher voter intention.
Minorities within provinces tend to have higher voter engagement. White youth displayed the highest voting intent, while educated black youth came second. Young people from KwaZulu-Natal, mainly identifying as Zulus, had slightly lower voting intentions, but those identifying as Xhosa reported marginally higher voting intentions than the Zulu demographic.
The determined voter segment included 30% from the Western Cape, which put the province at the top of the list for youth political engagement.
One segment, labelled "diverse urbanites, "primarily comprised black individuals living in urban areas, with the highest voting intention. They struggled to decide which political parties to support and emphasized the desire for national change and betterment. A mixed demographic group, described as reluctant subordinates, expressed the lowest intention to vote, with concerns regarding corruption, the economy, and political parties' roles in civic matters.
Murmur Intelligence researcher Kyle Findlay emphasized that the survey's statistical identification of these groups aligns with national statistics and highlights the need to ensure young people are motivated to vote. Overcoming barriers like transport and access to voting stations, along with assurance that their votes can make a difference, may encourage higher turnout. Concerns about the distance to voting stations were also raised.
While this survey may have a relatively small sample size,its insights are valuable in understanding the attitudes and challenges facedby South Africa's young voters as they approach the 2024 general election.
