South Africa national elections 2024: Expat FAQs answered – Is voting day the same day as in SA?

The deadline for registering to vote in the 2024 South Africa national elections – if you are based outside of Mzansi – is fast approaching.

With hours rather days remaining to sign up, there is still uncertainty as to how the process works.

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In an effort to make the exercise as simple as possible, the SAPeople website has exclusively engaged the help and expert assistance of Hayley Reichert to answer some of the more frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Reichert, who left Durban in 2008, now resides in London.

PART 1 | South Africa national elections 2024: Expat FAQs answered – How do I register?

PART 2 | South Africa national elections 2024: Expat FAQs answered – Do I need my SA ID and passport to vote?

South Africans living in South Africa who are eligible to vote and have registered to do so, will go to the polls on Wednesday, 29 May 2024.

The day will be a public holiday.

In the third of a series of articles, the SAPeople website asked Reichert: “Is voting day the same day as in South Africa if I live abroad?”

No.

Voting abroad typically takes place 10-14 days prior to elections in South Africa.

Although not yet confirmed, the IEC has informed me that it will probably be held on Saturday, 18 May 2024.

In 2014, voting abroad was only one week before South Africa and a few foreign missions votes were not received in time and not counted.

It was also held on a Wednesday and being a weekday, it was not a public holiday nor a weekend which prevented many people from voting.

In 2019, it was held 11 days prior and all overseas votes were received and counted.

Hence Saturday, 18 May 2024 being the most likely date for overseas voting.

Unfortunately, a Saturday voting day does restrict some voters such as the Jewish community. 

Please check the user guide in the help section for information on uploading your ID document and check out these troubleshooting tips in the video below:

Hayley Reichert is a passionate South African, based in London. She has held roles with the SA Chamber of Commerce (UK), Nedbank SA Charity Golf Day, Democratic Alliance Abroad – where she initiated the loss of citizenship campaign – Home Away From Home repatriation & Project LISA (Locked in SA) expatriation projects during SA airspace closure in 2020 and Move One Million. Hayley also assisted South Africans who fled Ukraine at the start of the Russian invasion and is currently working on a project to support a change in the political trajectory of South Africa in the 2024 General Elections.