The proposed electronic voting (e-voting) system for future South African elections has hit turbulence even before implementation, with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and major opposition parties shooting it down for various reasons.

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo believes that the electronic voting method for the country is a little unrealistic, at least for the time being, given the nation’s difficulties providing free internet access to its citizens. Mamabolo, who is supported by the sworn enemies UMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), asserts that among other obstacles to the e-voting system, rural areas do not currently have sufficient internet connectivity. He was giving a speech in Cape Town, Western Cape, at the start of a three-day e-voting conference on March 10.

To examine and investigate the viability of electronic voting in the nation, the conference brought together South Africans from all spheres of society, including business, civil society, political leaders, decision-makers, and the general public.  

In November 2024, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), which was a participant at the conference, released findings into possible electronic voting (e-voting) options for the country.

The HSRC Voter Participation Survey found that e-voting was seen as a way of solving some of the challenges associated with traditional, paper-based voting, such as providing fast and seamless ballot tabulation and fewer unintentionally spoiled ballots.

It argued that e-voting could mitigate low voter turnout and low participation by young people, who tend to find paper-based voting tedious and prefer much shorter voting systems such as e-voting. 

The research concluded that if e-voting were to be implemented by countries across Africa, including South Africa, the transition process would take several years and would require careful planning and testing. 

The council advised the IEC to conduct pre-tests to assess whether South Africans are ready for electronic voting or not.

However, Mamabolo says the e-voting proposal won’t fly in the current conditions.

“As much as the prospects for experimenting with e-voting systems and technologies can be exciting, we must also approach it with open minds and a sense of responsibility. At the forefront of these challenges are questions of security and trust. We remain committed to our mandate to deliver uncompromised elections with utmost integrity, impartiality, and accountability. In an era where cyber threats are increasingly prevalent, ensuring the safety and security of an electronic voting system is paramount. We must build systems that are resilient, secure, and able to withstand the threats of today and the future.

“Moreover, we must address the digital divide. As we indicated, South Africa is a country with varying levels of technological access. While urban areas may have reliable internet and a high rate of technological literacy, rural communities and impoverished areas still face significant barriers to digital inclusion,” Mamabolo said at the conference.

The IEC boss said despite the country’s internet connection challenges, the commission saw it appropriate to convene the conference to explore the prospects of introducing electronic voting technologies in South Africa.

“The Commission sees this as a potential watershed moment in our democracy, a discourse that cannot be ignored or limited to a certain sector of society. The enthusiasm for e-voting is evidently strong, particularly among the youth in South Africa, who hold an unrestrained hope regarding its potential to boost voter participation, simplify the voting process, and expedite the processing of election results. As the Commission, we encourage conversations, discussions, and lively debates among South Africans from all walks of life on this matter, as we have seen happening on some social media platforms recently. Such national conversation is essential because elections are a public enterprise that belong to all citizens of our country,” he added.

Julius Malema’s EFF also rejected the e-voting proposal and warned that the implementation would be premature and detrimental to the electoral system. The EFF raised concerns regarding unequal access to digital technology and the lack of infrastructure, which is often compromised by power outages.

“This attempt, first raised in 2013 and now resurfacing, is premature as it will compromise the integrity, accessibility, and reliability of our electoral system. The IEC has framed this discussion as a “watershed moment for electoral democracy.” However, the reality is that electronic voting in South Africa will only deepen inequality and disenfranchise millions of voters, particularly the poor and working class, due to the country’s deep digital divide. South Africa does not have the necessary infrastructure to support a transition to electronic voting,” the EFF said in a statement.

“Millions of citizens, especially in rural areas, do not have access to digital devices such as smartphones, laptops, or reliable internet services. Less than 75% of the population has access to internet services, with far less than that having access to the internet from their homes, and South Africa having some of the highest mobile data costs in the world. The failure of the government to provide universal access to digital infrastructure means that electronic voting will inevitably exclude the most vulnerable in our society,” the  party added. 

The national broadcaster, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), reported on Tuesday that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s National Organiser, Joseph Ndlela, vetoed the proposal for an electronic voting e-voting process.

He also attended the IEC e-voting conference.

Ndlela said his party was not convinced that the IEC has adequate infrastructure to conduct such elections.

“We are a victim of election rigging, or what one would say is fraud, and saying that one would need to be proven that the IEC is well positioned to be able to manage a system such as that. If they can’t manage the hybrid system, which is manual and electronic, which has been proven in the 2024 elections, what would make us change our minds with regards to that?” Ndlela asked.

The 2024 HSRC Election Satisfaction Survey, which was conducted just after the May General Elections, found that queuing time at voting stations increased in 2024 compared to recent elections, with the percentage of voters reporting a wait of 15 minutes or less declining from 76% in 2019 to 60% in 2024. 

They added that the over one hour wait reported by voters was the highest recorded since 2009, with voters in Gauteng particularly affected by disproportionately lengthy queuing times. 

Longer waits had a bearing on electoral evaluations, leading to slightly more negative responses, the survey found. 

The conference in Cape Town concluded on Wednesday, but the e-voting system matter is still topical across the country. South Africa is set to hold local government elections in 2026.