The Electoral Commission (IEC) has welcomed the positive response from South Africans who used the final voter registration weekend to register to vote or update their details ahead of the Local Government Elections.
With only a few hours remaining until 5pm, IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo urged those who have not yet visited voting stations to do so urgently, as all 23 699 voting stations across the country remain open.
"We are delighted that South Africans have responded positively to this final voter registration weekend, but there is still a crucial window of opportunity for those who have not yet registered or who need to update their registration details. We urge every eligible citizen to ensure that they are correctly registered and assigned to the right voting district," Mamabolo said on Sunday.
The Electoral Commission said it had identified some challenges with its online data-free voter registration service.
The Commission’s technical team is working together with its partners to urgently resolve the matter.
The Electoral Commission will announce the outcome of the voter registration drive at a media briefing on Monday at 1pm at the Election House in Centurion.
The Department of Home Affairs has also extended operating hours at all offices for the final Voter Registration Weekend on 1 and 2 August 2026.
Mamabolo said the final voter registration weekend commenced on a strong footing, with more than 99% of the 23 699 voting stations across the country opening promptly at 8am.
The Commission reported that it had interacted with more than 238 000 citizens at voting stations and on the online portal on Saturday by 12pm.
Mamabolo said the majority of transactions (198 232) were recorded at voting stations across the country, while the Commission’s online data-free voter registration portal recorded 20 078 transactions, providing eligible voters with an additional convenient channel to register or update their details.
“Preliminary figures indicate that the highest volumes of voter transactions are currently being recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (55 759), Eastern Cape (46 889) and Gauteng (41 774); this is consistent with historical patterns and reflects the population densities of the provinces.
“Other provinces, including Limpopo (29 680), Western Cape (19 693), Mpumalanga (17 218), North West (15 610), Free State (13 110), and Northern Cape (6 213), are also recording voter activity as citizens respond positively to the Commission’s call to register and update their details before the conclusion of the voting station-based registration,” he said. -SAnews.gov.za
