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President Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: Twitter/@PresidencyZA

Home » How the ANC’s support has plummeted: 1994 to 2024

How the ANC’s support has plummeted: 1994 to 2024

Prior to voting day, experts believed the ANC faced the very real possibility of receiving its fewest ever number of votes.

31-05-24 16:06
cyril ramaphosa GNU cabinet
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: Twitter/@PresidencyZA

South Africans went to the polls for the seventh general elections since 1994 on Wednesday, 29 May.

And Mzansi voiced its displeasure with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in no uncertain terms.

Prior to voting day, experts believed the ANC faced the very real possibility of receiving its fewest ever number of votes – as well as dropping below the magical 50% mark for the first time.

BOTH those predictions appear to have come true as counting continues around the country on Friday.

ANC VOTES RECEIVED IN EVERY ELECTION TO DATE

YearTotal votesANC votes%
199419 533 49812 237 65562.65%
199915 977 14210 601 33066.35%
200415 612 67110 880 91569.69%
200917 680 72911 650 74865.90%
201418 402 49711 436 92162.15%
201917 437 37910 026 47557.50%
2024 *9 200 8033 800 48241.86%

NOTE: The 2024 results are not final. Figures represent the latest available data at time of publishing on Friday, 31 May at 14:00

In 2024, the provincial breakdown of the registered voters indicates that Gauteng (23.6%) remains as the biggest voting block, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (20.7%) and the Eastern Cape (12.41%).

RankProvinceVoters%
1Gauteng6 542 03323.6%
2KwaZulu-Natal5 738 27220.7%
3Eastern Cape3 439 32512.41%
4Western Cape3 317 10211.96%
5Limpopo2 779 66810.03%
6Mpumalanga2 025 0747.3%
7North West1 768 5806.38%
8Free State1 456 9355.26%
9Northern Cape656 8312.37%
TOTAL27 723 820100%

In 2024 there was a marked increase in the rate of representation by persons in the age group 18-39 years.

This age band accounts for 42% – or 11.7 million – voters on the voters’ roll.

Interestingly, the trend of there being more females on the voters’ roll continues.

Of the 27.79 million voters, 15 million are females. This represents over 55%.

Since the voters’ roll was compiled for the first time ahead of the 1999 national and provincial elections, it (the voters’ roll) has shown steady growth of over 35% and contains the highest number of registered voters, recording an increase of 9.6 million voters since the 1999 general elections.

The table below illustrates the rate of growth on the voters’ roll for successive elections:

ElectionsVoters
199918.17 million
200420.67 million
200923.18  million
201425.39 million
201926.76 million
202427.79 million

WHAT WAS YOUR VOTING 2024 GENERAL ELECTION EXPERIENCE LIKE?

Let us know by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1