Voting as a South African living abroad is becoming more accessible than ever before, with the first time you can register to vote online. This is a significant step towards making your voice heard in the 2024 general elections. Political expert and CEO of the Ground Work Collective, Mbali Ntuli, emphasizes that whether you are physically or geographically, you remain a South African and an investment in the success of your country.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) calls on South Africans at home and overseas to register to vote. In the 2019 elections, the IEC recorded 29,468 registered voters eligible to cast their vote internationally. Of this, 19,909 votes were eventually cast at diplomatic missions abroad, representing a voting abroad turnout of 68%. In-country, 17,652,942 South Africans went to the polls, representing a domestic voter turnout of 65%.
According to the IEC’s 2019 National and Provincial Elections Report, the highest number of votes cast abroad was in London, United Kingdom (5,920 votes), Dubai, United Arab Emirates (1,096 votes), The Hague, Netherlands (949 votes), Abu Dhabi, UAE (842 votes), and Dublin, Ireland (581 votes).
South African citizens living abroad can vote overseas, as they have a South African identity document (either a green ID book, a smartcard ID, or a valid temporary ID certificate) and a valid South African passport or a valid temporary passport. They also need to be a registered voter and be at least 18 years and older. To register to vote abroad, first-time voters must register through the online voter registration portal, and those already registered must update their registration details.
Voters can also register to vote at their local embassy or consulate by visiting any of South Africa’s 120 embassies, high commissions, and consulates on 26, 27, and 28 January. In person at the nearest South African foreign mission requires a South African identity document and a valid or temporary passport.
The IEC has called on all South Africans abroad to register to vote in the 2024 general election. If you have any doubts about your voter registration, you can check your voter registration status on the IEC’s website or contact the IEC’s contact centre at 0800 11 800 or email info@elections.org.za.
The new Electoral Amendment Act, Act 1 of 2023, has slightly changed who must inform the IEC of their intention to vote outside the country (VEC 10). With the new Act, voters abroad are no longer required to notify the Electoral Commission about their voting intentions unless they intend to vote at a different foreign mission or in an other country than where they are currently registered.
Voters who reside in South Africa but will be abroad on election day, or those who are abroad but intend to vote in a different country or at an other mission than where they are registered can submit a VEC 10 notification to inform the IEC of the foreign mission at which they intend to vote. The VEC 10 form will be available on the IEC website from the date the national election is proclaimed for 15 days. If you do not submit a VEC 10 application before the deadline specified in the election timetable, you cannot vote.
The elections for South Africa will take place between May and mid-August 2024. Once the date is announced, an election timetable will be published, outlining the voting dates for South Africans abroad. Voters must bring their South African identity document and a valid passport to the foreign mission they are registered at. They must also bring their green ID book, smartcard ID, or temporary ID certificate to cast their vote.
