More than 18,000 South Africans living abroad register to vote

More than 18,000 South Africans living in 101 countries have started registering to vote in the upcoming elections using the online registration portal, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo on Thursday updated South Africans on the IEC’s readiness for the registration weekend for South Africans living abroad.

The registration weekend starts from 26 to 28 January, depending on the configuration of the weekend in their respective countries.

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In countries where the weekend is a Saturday and Sunday, the registration will take place on those days. Where Friday and Saturdays are weekends, the registration will happen on those days.

The countries with the most registrations online include:

• UK – 5,900
• Netherlands – 1,800
• Germany – 746
• US – 821
• Ireland – 675
• UAE – 1,068
• China 515
• Australia – 588
• New Zealand – 314
• Cuba 293
• Portugal – 284
• Belgium – 280

In Africa, South Africans have also started registering in 28 countries:

• Mauritius – 316
• Lesotho – 224
• Namibia – 148
• Botswana – 170
• Zambia- 96
• Zimbabwe – 77
• Kenya – 73
• Ghana – 45
• Tanzania – 40

“The Electoral Commission has enabled online registration facility for the first time to allow South Africans outside the country to easily register for the forthcoming 2024 national elections,” said Mamabolo.

In 2019, about 21,000 South Africans voted abroad, with 7,000 of them registering for the first time ahead of that election.

“The commission hopes that the introduction of the online registration system will attract a majority of citizens who are living outside of the republic.

“We take this opportunity to thank everyone who has heeded our call to use the online system and appeal to citizens living outside the country to take advantage of the forthcoming overseas voter registration weekend on 26, 27 and 28 January.”

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Citizens may register as voters either online or in person at the nearest South African mission, embassy and consulates, which are open during working hours over a two-day period.

Voters are encouraged to check for the times with their nearest embassy.

They must have a South African ID document and passport.

According to the department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco), three embassies – Israel, Sudan and Ukraine – have been temporarily closed due to security concerns.

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“We will take the best possible steps to make sure that everyone participates in this democratic process. We encourage citizens in these countries to register using the online portal,” said Mamabolo.