Final voter registration weekend: Limpopo set to boost 2.9m voters
The IEC has opened over 20 000 stations nationwide for the final voter registration weekend, with Limpopo already at 2.9m registered voters.
POLOKWANE – The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has called on all eligible citizens to use the final voter registration weekend of August 1-2 to register or update their details, after more than 330 000 people in Limpopo participated in the previous drive.
Speaking at the IEC’s media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said all 23 296 voting stations nationwide will be open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
Limpopo’s first weekend in numbers
IEC Limpopo spokesperson Simon Thobakgale said in June that following the first registration weekend on June 1-2, the province recorded 336 249 registration transactions over the two days.
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| New registrations | 48 374 |
| Re-registrations in same voting district | 205 708 |
| Voting district transfers | 82 167 |
| Online registrations | 24 131 |
| Total registered voters in Limpopo | 2.9 million |
Demographic highlights
- Youth: People aged 16-29 accounted for 81 447 transactions, or 24% of total activity. Of all new registrations, 73% were young people.
- Gender: Female voters accounted for 59% of total transactions.
- Channels: 93% of transactions were done at stations using Voting Management Devices, with 7% online.
Polokwane leads in volumes
Municipally, the highest volumes were recorded in Polokwane Local Municipality with 28 655 transactions, followed by Collins Chabane and Thulamela.
Online portal now zero-rated
The IEC attributed the increase to efficiencies from VMDs and the online portal.
The Commission also announced that the Online Voter Registration Portal is now zero-rated and that about 30 000 pending online applications are still being processed.
Where to register in Polokwane
In Limpopo, 298 voter registration stations have been prepared for Polokwane residents, and the municipality has 337 approved and listed voting stations covering urban and rural areas.
University of Limpopo station reinstated
At the University of Limpopo, the IEC has reinstated a voting station on campus after it was de-registered following the 2024 general elections.
Final chance to register physically
The IEC confirmed the August 1-2 weekend is the last scheduled opportunity to register ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. However, people can register online until the voting proclamation day.
Provincial Electoral Commissioner Nkaro Mateta reminded voters that for local government elections they may only vote at the station where they are registered.
“There will not be another chance to physically do so once the second registration drive set for August 1-2 is complete,” Mateta said.
How to check your details
The IEC urged voters to verify their status:
- Online via the IEC website
- Via the IEC mobile app
- By SMSing their ID number to 32810
- By calling the contact centre on 0800 11 8000
The final voters’ roll will be certified and published after the August 1-2 registration weekend.
