South Africa not ready to lower voting age to 16

THE United Kingdom's announcement that it will lower the voting age to 16 ahead of its next general election has stirred fresh debate on the matter in South Africa ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

According to a BBC report, the UK proposal is part of a broader reform package.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the changes, saying young people who “pay in” to the system deserve to have a say in how their money is spent.

But the decision has drawn mixed reactions. UK Conservative MP Paul Holmes criticised the timing, arguing that there will be no parliamentary scrutiny until September due to the recess, and called the proposal “hopelessly confused”.

In South Africa, only 18% of registered voters were between the ages of 18 and 30 in 2023, despite two-thirds of the population being under 35.

Political analyst Nkosikhulule Nyembezi believes the country is far from ready for such a shift in the voting age.

“47% of young people were not interested in voting in the May 2024 elections due to perceptions that their individual vote would not make any difference in the outcomes of the elections,” said Nyembezi.

“However, 53% still believed in the importance of voting as a duty of citizens. Under 18s must practise voting in education and social settings such as when voting for student representatives.

“Civic and voter education could empower the 16-year-olds to make political choices,” he added. “However, it will be a long way before they develop the capacity to discharge the corresponding responsibilities of voters”

According to Nyembezi, civic education in South Africa remains underfunded.