Identifying what drives young people to vote, or abstain from doing so, is critical to strengthening
democracy. The objective of this study was thus to understand the factors that influenced the voting
behaviour of young South Africans between the ages of 18 and 24 years, so as to inform efforts
aimed at increasing democratic participation amongst this demographic group.
This monograph presents a clearer understanding of young people’s attitudes towards politics and
voting. It does this by relating the narratives of young students in high schools, Further Education
and Training (FET) colleges and universities in urban and rural areas, across all nine provinces in
South Africa.
The evidence presented in this report indicates a major difference in voter registration levels among
South Africans between the ages of 18 to 19 (33%); and 20 to 29 (64%). This difference is also
notable in the respondents’ narratives – that is, the way high-school students responded to the
questions as compared to older cohorts in FET colleges and universities.
This report illustrates that although young people acknowledge the importance of voting, they do not
often identify it as the best way to bring about change. Through the narratives of the participants,
this monograph paints a picture of a demographic group that is growing increasingly frustrated by
the challenges they continue to face. These include high levels of unemployment, corruption, poor
infrastructure (i.e. housing) and poor education.