The South African 2016 Local Government Elections were arguably the most anticipated municipal elections since 1994. This interest can be attributed to a number of issues, ranging from the heightened levels of competition in the political landscape as a result of the formation of the EFF, which has proven to be the most viable ‘left’ alternative; the recordable growth of a consistent Democratic Alliance; and the burden of corruption and scandal affecting the giant in the political game of South Africa, the ANC.

This briefing paper will look at the participation of the youth in these elections: whether the impact was significant or generally underwhelming. The interest in the youth’s electoral participation is informed by the growing interest of young people in the country’s politics and their role in it. This can be seen, for example, in the wave of student protests for free education and a range of other issues affecting South Africa’s post-apartheid higher education landscape. While this paper will examine youth participation in this year’s elections, for comparative purposes it will also consider youth turnout in the 2011 and 2014 polls. This will indicate whether the apparently higher level of youth interest pre-election in fact resulted in a greater percentage of youth voters in 2016.

Briefing paper by the Southern African Catholic Bishop's Conference Parliamentary Liaison Office