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Local election results and voter statistics: 2021 versus 2016
The voter turnout dropped to an all-time low during the 2021 local government elections.
Residents gather at the Rayton voting station during the 2016 Local Government Elections. Photo: Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius
Now that South Africa’s local elections have come to an end and the results are being tallied, let’s look at voter registration statistics.
Election results 2021
Counting ballot papers
Shortly after 6:00 am, 12% of the ballot papers have been counted, with the African National Congress (ANC) leading the pack with 44.67%.
Note: The article continues below the embedded elections map.
This was followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 28.64%, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 7.8%.
Moreover, the ANC currently leads in Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Meanwhile, the DA is dominating in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Voter registration by province
The voter turnout dropped to an all-time low during the latest local government elections. A record 26 333 353 million eligible South Africans registered to vote in the 2016 election.
In 2021, the IEC confirmed 26 228 975 registered to vote, however, only eight million people made their mark on Monday.
If we were to break the figures down by province, it would be as follows:
Registered voters 2021
- Gauteng: 6 195 023 voters
- KwaZulu-Natal: 5 472 321
- Eastern Cape: 3 252 750
- Western Cape: 3 110 804
- Limpopo: 2 585 526
- Mpumalanga: 1 905 257
- North West: 1 671 244
- Free State: 1 412 862
- Northern Cape: 623 188
Registered voters 2016
- Gauteng: 6 234 822
- KwaZulu-Natal: 5 411 237
- Eastern Cape: 3 337 532
- Western Cape: 3 066 649
- Limpopo: 2 556 128
- Mpumalanga: 1 919 216
- North West: 1 715 460
- Free State: 1 470 999
- Northern Cape: 621 310
Follow the 2021 local government election results live here!
Voters by gender and age (2021)
Women were also more inclined to vote than men, specifically women between the ages of 30 to 39 (3 148 111 men compared to 3 609 487 women).
The age groups least likely to vote in the local government elections include those under the age of 19, and those over the age of 80.
Only 78 147 men and 101 946 women under the age of 19 registered to vote, while 187 535 men and 478 697 women above the age of 80 registered.
Overall, 11 757 416 men (approximately 44.83%) registered to vote, compared to 14 4741 559 (or 55.17%) women.
Voters by gender and age (2016)
Back in 2016, women represented 55% of the total registered population, while the voters’ roll showed a net growth of 2 668 307 voters since the 2011 elections.
The largest age category on the voters’ roll was the 30 to 39 age group with 6 435 335 voters, which represented 24% of the registered population.
The second-largest age category on the voters’ roll is the 20 to 29 group, with 5 776 599 voters (approximately 22% of the registered population).
There were 14 465 896 women voters (55%) compared to 11 867 457 male voters (45%), while the 18 and 35-year age group constituted 48% of the registered voters.
NOW READ: Election results 2021: Here’s how votes are counted
