Statistics about democracy in South Africa

A whopping 45% of South Africans say life has worsened for them and their families in the last five years, while 74% say corruption has worsened and 73% say both unemployment and the cost of living have worsened.

This was revealed at an Electoral Commission (IEC) research survey seminar in Sandton on September 21, where mountains of data were unpacked.

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Surveys from three groups – Surveys Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the Afrobarometer and Citizen Survey – were discussed but the HSRC’s two surveys on voter participation and election satisfaction were analysed the most as it fitted the theme of the event more than the others.

Some interesting results were as follows:

• Since 2003 satisfaction with social grants decreased from 70% to 60%, satisfaction with electricity decreased from 66% to 38%, satisfaction with water and sanitation decreased from 60% to 40% and satisfaction with job creation hovered around 10% from 2003 to 2021.
• Institutional trust in national government dropped from around 48% in 1998 to 28% in 2021, trust in parliament dropped from about 58% to 25%, trust in local government dropped from about 38% to 21% and trust in political parties dropped from 30% to 19%.
• Trust in the electoral commission is still the second-highest after trust in courts, but it has also dropped from 56% in 2003 to 43% in 2021. Experts explained this was linked to overall views on democracy, which had a pull-down effect on trust in institutions.
• Only 59% of South Africans said they are interested in government elections compared to 76% in 2005.
• The sense of duty people feel to vote has decreased from 86% in 2004 to 62% in 2021.
• Fewer people disagreed with the statement ‘whether I vote or not makes no difference’. It decreased from 58% in 2003 to 35% in 2021.
• Agreement with the view ‘after being elected all parties are the same, so voting is pointless’ increased from 31% in 2003 to 43% in 2021.
• Those disagreeing with the view ‘voting is meaningless because no politician can be trusted’ decreased from 52% in 2003 to 34% in 2021.
• Reported barriers to voter registration showed political disinterest had decreased from 74% in 2005 to 65% in 2021, but administrative barriers, political intimidation, high crime rate, and especially ‘other’ showed increases.
• While most people (55%) said online voter registration would make registration easier and more effective, and 51% said online registration should be used after the Covid-19 pandemic, 44% still feel online registration will introduce more electoral fraud.
• Since 2016 people showed a below-than-average intention to vote (between 60 and 70% when from 2004 to 2016 varied from 70 to 80% most years.
• Disinterest and disillusionment were the main reasons people gave for not intending to vote (71% to 79%) between 2008 and 2018.
• More people (63%) from the ‘non-poor’ group intend to vote than the poor (53%) and unemployed (56%).
• About 48% of older people (aged 55+) will give their party another chance compared to 35% of people aged 18–24, 38% of people aged 25–34 and 39% of people aged 35–54.
• About 53% of people believe people receive cash, gifts or services for their vote, 45% of people believe TV news favours the ruling party and 46% of people think rich people buy votes.
• About 77% of people queued for less than a quarter hour, 15% queued for 16-30 minutes, 5% queued for 31–60 minutes, 2% waited one to two hours while 1% waited more than two hours.
• A total of 64% of voters found voting very easy and 32% found it easy inside the station.
• About 80% of voters found electoral officers friendly, helpful, honest, patient, interested in their jobs and professional.
• Political coercion has increased since 2009 to over a 10th of voters. But this is mostly by family and friends before one reaches the voting station.
• Nearly all voters (97%) were satisfied with the secrecy of their vote, and 92% felt the elections are free and fair, though the latter has declined from 95% in 2009.

The presentation can be found on the IEC website.

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