Young South Africans to have a major voice in upcoming elections

Thirty years after South Africa’s first democratic elections, the country prepares to head to the ballot box on 29 May. 

A survey shows how young voters and especially first voters are keen to see much change in South Africa, and are likely to make a big difference in the outcome.

I spoke to the chairman of the Foundation to discuss the issue further.

The African non-governmental organisation Ichikowitz Family Foundation released a Special 'South Africa Edition' of its pan-African 2024 African Youth Survey.

The report, titled South African Special Edition 30 Years of Democracy Survey, is the results of face-to-face interviews with over 1,000 18 to 24 year olds across the country.

And it reveals that, among the youngest voters, confidence in South Africa’s future direction has plummeted, with three-quarters believing the nation is going in the wrong direction.

This sentiment has increased by 24 percent since 2020.

Amidst deepening crises in South Africa, youth are calling for urgent action to reduce corruption, create jobs, and improve basic needs and services.

But the founder and chairman of the foundation, Ivor Ichikowitz, remains optimistic.

"The youth in South Africa engaged," he told me, "I do believe that they're involved and they will rightly form the next generation of leaders, about to emerge and make deep changes. They have concerns, of course, major concerns, and the first one is about the level of corruption, and its damages."

Need for systemic change

Young voters make up 10 percent of the electorate in South Africa this election - and at least half of them say they are going to vote.

Most of them vote for the first time.

Corruption is now the biggest concern in the minds of youth, the report shows, rising from 64 percent ‘very concerned’ in 2022 to 85% in 2024.

"We see a high level of youth engaged in the democratic process," Ichikowitz added. "Many are registered on electoral lists for the first time, and they say they are highly likely to vote, and I believe most of them will." 

This generation is telling us that they're going to hold the next government to account, he thinks, after studying the survey.

"I do believe they're going to play a huge role in the election and in changing not only South Africa but the whole continent altogether," Ichikowitz said.

Other issues with extremely high levels of concern among young South Africans are lack of employment opportunities (82 percent say they're ‘very concerned’), and concern surrounding gender-based violence (81 percent ‘very concerned’).

Environmental issues have also seen the largest increase in concern since 2022, with climate change rising from 37 percent of the 18-24 ‘very concerned’ to 63 percent, and water scarcity jumping from 43 to 69 percent.

Also, 76 percent of the young people surveyed said they are dissatisfied with the government’s efforts to crack down on corruption, and nearly half (48 percent) blame corruption for their difficulties in finding adequate employment.      

Corruption is the key culprit and barrier to starting a business, more than half (52 percent) say.

While youth are acutely concerned with the issue of corruption and how it is being addressed, they do express overwhelming support for a range of policies aimed at eradicating corruption from the country.

Over four-in-five (84 percent) youth in South Africa are calling for the introduction of tougher punishments (e.g. longer jail sentences) for those convicted of corruption.

Another four-in-five youth approve of creating an independent police task force (85 percent), preventing those convicted of corruption from standing for public office (81 percent), and requiring that candidates running for positions in public office must not have a criminal record (79 percent).

“Given the high levels of approval for anti-corruption policies and the concern placed on the issue of corruption, it is evident that South African youth are looking to the government and leaders to implement comprehensive change,” Ichikowitz noted.

“Furthermore, it is clear that this change needs to be systemic," he added. "Clearly, youth in South Africa are aligned in their views that the current system has to change, and leaders must take comprehensive steps in order to improve South Africa’s future direction.”

Finally, young South Africans are unified in their dissatisfaction with finding employment opportunities in-country. 

Legacy of Apartheid

Most youth feel the post-apartheid reality in South Africa has fallen far short of successfully addressing a range of issues.

There is a growing expectation that standards have plateaued both in the near future and longer-term.

Only 45 percent of the 18-24 see progress having been made to bring an end to apartheid; and only 40 percent say enough has been done to develop a non-racial society.

“Irrespective of what happens in South Africa’s general elections, there is a groundswell of feeling that needs an outlet, which can only be met through action, Ichikowitz added.

"The question is what kind of action? Knowing what the problems are allows those who have the authority and the resources to make a real and positive difference.

There are, he thinks, great reasons to be hopeful about the future of the continent and South Africa more specifically, but it would be "foolhardy" to ignore "the warnings that are being expressed by our youth."

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A summary of this story will be published on RFI English.