SA elections 2024: Voter age groups and gender split
According to the official IEC website, 27 723 820 voters in South Africa are eligible to mark their ‘X’ in the national and provincial elections.
Numbers show that the 2024 South African general elections are likely to set a record for the most votes ever cast at the polls come Wednesday, 29 May.
In particular, the age group and gender split for those registered make for fascinating reading.
According to the official IEC website, 27 723 820 voters in South Africa are eligible to mark their ‘X’ in the national and provincial elections, now under 11 weeks away.
This represents the highest total since the dawn of democracy in the country in what will be the seventh elections since 1994.
It’s important to note that only those who are on the voters roll certified by the IEC (as of 12 March) will be able to vote on 29 May.
“It is impossible to vote in that election if you have not applied for registration before [the close of the voters roll],” confirmed the IEC.
ELECTIONS 2024: MARKED INCREASE IN 18-39 BAND
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%).
| Rank | Province | Voters | % |
| 1 | Gauteng | 6 542 033 | 23.6% |
| 2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 5 738 272 | 20.7% |
| 3 | Eastern Cape | 3 439 325 | 12.41% |
| 4 | Western Cape | 3 317 102 | 11.96% |
| 5 | Limpopo | 2 779 668 | 10.03% |
| 6 | Mpumalanga | 2 025 074 | 7.3% |
| 7 | North West | 1 768 580 | 6.38% |
| 8 | Free State | 1 456 935 | 5.26% |
| 9 | Northern Cape | 656 831 | 2.37% |
| TOTAL | 27 723 820 | 100% |
There has been a marked increase in the rate of representation by persons in the age group 18-39 years.
This age band accounts for 42.8% – or 11 856 403 – voters on the voters’ roll.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total |
| 18-19 | 250 549 | 327 247 | 577 796 |
| 20-29 | 2 007 366 | 2 453 627 | 4 460 993 |
| 30-39 | 3 158 772 | 3 658 842 | 6 817 614 |
| 40-49 | 2 842 031 | 3 128 168 | 5 970 199 |
| 50-59 | 2 048 228 | 2 494 695 | 4 542 923 |
| 60-69 | 1 309 136 | 1 793 464 | 3 102 600 |
| 70-79 | 576 474 | 936 314 | 1 512 788 |
| 80+ | 217 335 | 521 572 | 738 907 |
| Total | 12 409 891 | 15 313 929 | 27 723 820 |
Interestingly, the trend of there being more females on the voters’ roll continues.
Of the 27 723 820 voters, 15 313 929 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:
| Elections | Voters |
| 1999 | 18.17 million |
| 2004 | 20.67 million |
| 2009 | 23.18 million |
| 2014 | 25.39 million |
| 2019 | 26.76 million |
| 2024 | 27.79 million |
DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’LL BE VOTING FOR IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS?
Let us know by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
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