Why Social Media has become Compelling Digital Spaces for Mobilizing Young People Towards Participating in the Local Government Elections in South Africa

Although young people aged 18-35 years constitute the largest demographic in South Africa, they have historically demonstrated limited engagement with electoral democracy. Post-election analyses revealed that fewer than 20% of registered young voters had participated in the 2021 local government elections. As of February 2026, youth registration remains low. To date the 18-19, 20-29 and 30-39 age groups collectively account for approximately 11 million registered voters, representing about 39% of the electorate. This figure reflects less than half of the youth population, underscoring a persistent crisis of youth disengagement. Debates around voter apathy and voting decisions have prompted calls for innovative solutions. Digital technologies particularly social media offer new opportunities for political institutions to connect with young citizens. Recent trends highlight the rise of ‘viral politics’, where hashtags, challenges, and digital campaigns harness algorithms to generate widespread participation. As a youth-centric medium, social media provides spaces for dialogue, identity formation and mobilization, helping to bridge the gap between young people and formal politics. While it offers powerful opportunities to engage the youth in local government elections, it also carries significant risks including misinformation, algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, manipulation and exploitation. This reality therefore calls for blending digital innovation with offline civic education. Given that the youth represent the future of South Africa’s democracy, their active involvement is essential.

The story of South Africa’s democracy has always been one of adaptation, innovation, and resilience. From the ballot papers of 1994 that represented newfound freedom, to the digital dashboards of today that reflect real-time results, our democratic institutions have always evolved in response to society’s needs. Today, the need before us is digital transformation, an imperative driven not only by technological advancement but by the expectations and behaviours of our citizens, especially our youth.

Upasana Gitanjali Singh, (2025)[1]

To better understand the potential use of social media within electoral processes, it is important to first establish the democratic context in South Africa.  Like many countries in the region, South Africa has faced significant challenges leading up to elections. During the 2021 South African Local Government Elections, only a small proportion of young people registered, and even fewer turned out to vote. Official reports from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) noted an overall voter turnout of 45.86%, but youth participation was particularly low, with less than 20% registered young voters casting ballots (2021).

Who are these young people, and why are they important? Citizens aged 18-35 make up a large share of the population, yet they continue to show less of interest in electoral democracy compared to older age groups. As of February 2026, youth registration remains below expectations. The18-19, 20-29 and 30-39 age groups together account for approximately 11 million voters, representing about 39% of the electorate[2]. This figure amounts to almost half of the youth demographic reported in the 2022 census. Where is the other half? These numbers highlight a crisis in South Africa’s democratic processes, raising urgent questions about youth disengagement and the future of political participation.

Who is voting and for who?

Research conducted by Bekker and Runciman (2021) reported that 42% of individuals self-identified as having voted for the Africa National Congress (ANC), 25% for the Democratic Alliance (DA), and 9% for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The survey further revealed that the EFF drew most of its support from the younger voters: those aged 18-20 and 21-25 accounted for 13% and 12% respectively, compared to older cohorts such as ages 56-60, 61-65, and 71-75, which accounted for 3%, 0%, and 2% respectively (ibid. 2). Comparatively, among first-time voters aged 18-20, 13% voted for the EFF, 59% for the ANC, and 28% for the DA (Bekker and Runciman, 2021). These figures highlight the enduring popularity of the longer established parties. Although these are sample findings, they allow us to infer generational differences in voting behavior. Supporting this, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) identified a youth apathy crisis in its post-electoral election survey (2022), attributing disengagement disillusionment with politics, unemployment, and lack of trust in governing institutions. Similarly, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) provided analysis confirming that youth disengagement stemmed from political parties’  failure to connect meaningfully with younger voters, despite their voter significance (ISS, 2021). These sources point to the crisis of South African democracy that sees the disengaged ‘born-free’s’ prompting renewed efforts of citizen mobilization. How do we get to them?

Political processes are deeply rooted in social interaction. In the contemporary world, social media has transformed the political arena by enhancing citizen involvement. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010: 61) define social media as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” Once regarded primarily as a tool for entertainment, facilitating the sharing of videos, communication, and other forms of media, social media now plays a significant role in reshaping political administration.

Social media has enabled the exchange of views across a wider audience, thereby “closing the gap between citizens and politicians” (Silva et al., 2019). It plays a significant role in youth political activism and engagement. As a medium that blends information access, entertainment, and peer influence, it has mobilized citizens—particularly young people—who actively participate across different platforms. Social media has allowed “individuals, companies, organizations, governments and parliamentarians to interact with large numbers of people” (Dogra and Kaur, 2021: 50). This has fostered openness, participation, and connectedness, serving as the basis of democracy while further shaping political discourse.

Moreover, it has revolutionized electronic participation (E-Participation), which represents a transformational stage of e-government where citizens interact with government and engage in democratic processes using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Web 2.0 tools (Reddick and Antonio, 2016). This shift has contributed to more participatory, citizen-centric, and deliberative forms of governance (151).

Additionally, opportunities for media coverage have expanded (Butt et al., 2021). This is evident in the integration of social media platforms such as TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube, which have advanced e-participation by facilitating two-way communication and dialogue between citizens and the state. Although social media has emerged as a compelling force in the digital age mobilizing citizens through its participatory and accessible nature, and its ability to bridge gaps between political institutions and everyday realities, the question remains: is this enough to drive meaningful change? One of the persistent challenges surrounding electoral participation is the lack of civic education. How can political institutions engage the younger demographic without losing their interest?

Leveraging Social Media

Research notes that many local governments still use social media as a one-way communication strategy, losing sight of its full potential. Recent trends have shown that the idea of “viral politics” helps engage young citizens on social media platforms. The use of algorithms through hashtags, viral challenges, and digital campaigns has attracted significant participation among the youth. As a generation immersed in digital culture, access to information, media circulation, and communication is all at their fingertips.

As a youth-centric communication medium, social media offers:

Relatable, interactive formats – memes, reels, and hashtags that align with youth culture can help deconstruct political ideologies and spread information widely, while remaining accessible and relatable.

Peer influence – social media influencers with large followings have the ability to drive political engagement in entertaining, influential, and yet relatable ways. This fosters a sense of collective identity and creats opportunities for mobilization.

Direct Engagement – By bypassing traditional media, social media provides opportunities to ‘close the gap’ between politicians and the youth demographic, enabling dialogue, debate, and accountability in real time.

Recommendations and Summary

Solutions to youth apathy are possible; however, they require innovation. Social media’s interactivity, cultural relevance, and accessibility make it a powerful tool for mobilizing young people in preparation for local government elections. Yet this demands openness to new forms of political campaigning that reflect the realities of the digital age. It also requires political institutions to actively integrate younger demographics into the design and promotion of campaigns. Recent trends have shown collaborations between political parties and local celebrities, social media influencers, and artists, aimed at appealing to their fan bases and encouraging voter participation. While such strategies may succeed, political parties still bear the responsibility of being transparent about their causes. Likewise, citizens have a responsibility to conduct independent research.

Digital spaces continue to reshape democratic participation, offering new pathways for civic engagement, mobilization, and accountability. However, underlying dangers remain, including digital exclusion, deepfakes, and misinformation, which can distort political discourse and manipulate public opinion. To address these challenges, political parties and civil society organisations must avoid relying solely on social media to mobilize young voters. A blended set of solutions is needed. This includes embedding voter education in schools, universities, and community programmes, and combining in-person workshops with digital campaigns to ensure inclusivity. Fact-checking initiatives are also essential. Ultimately, it is our collective responsibility to remain vigilant about the social media content we consume. Importantly, social media should not only serve as a tool for political campaigning but also as a space for monitoring service delivery and holding leaders accountable. Real change lies in sustained engagement beginning during campaign periods but continuing beyond elections into everyday governance.

Thelma Nyarhi is a Researcher at the Democracy Development Programme (DDP) and writes in her own capacity.

References

Butt, J., Saleem, H., Siddiqui, A., Saleem, S. and Awang, M., 2021. Influence of social media towards e-participation of youth in national political elections. Int. J. Manag, 12, pp.734-748.

Dogra, N.K. and Kaur, S., 2021. Role of social media in elections and political participation. International Journal of All Research Writings, 3(8), pp.50-54.

Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) (2021) 2021 Local Government Elections Report. Pretoria: IEC.

Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) (2022) Post-election survey: Public attitudes towards voting and democracy in South Africa. Pretoria: HSRC.

Institute for Security Studies (ISS) (2021) Youth disengagement and the 2021 local government elections. Pretoria: ISS.

Kaplan, A.M. and Haenlein, M., 2010. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), pp.59-68.

Silva, P., Tavares, A.F., Silva, T. and Lameiras, M., 2019. The good, the bad and the ugly: Three faces of social media usage by local governments. Government Information Quarterly, 36(3), pp.469-479.

[1] Speech excerpt during Electoral Commissions seminar see Electoral Commission engages youth on digital technology ahead of local government elections 2026 | South African Government

[2] Voter Registration Statistics - Electoral Commission of South Africa