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Ipsos poll finds no party leads among young voters

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

Empty parliamentary debating chamber with rows of wooden benches and a raised podium.

Ipsos found that 27% of registered young people are interested in politics and elections, against 33% of older registered voters. Among registered voters aged 18 to 24, the EFF and ANC are tied at 17%.

The MK Party has 15% support among registered voters aged 18 to 24, and the DA has 13%. Another 9% of these voters said they will not vote. The findings come from the Ipsos Pulse of the People study, released ahead of the local government elections.

Ipsos political analyst Mari Harris said young South Africans are sending a clear message to parties. She said many of them do not feel represented and are sceptical of politicians. She also said youth unemployment gets too little attention, which keeps registration lower than among older voters.

Statistics from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) show about 693,000 people aged 15 to 19 are registered to vote. About 5 million registered voters are aged 20 to 29. Councillor candidates aged 18 to 39 make up 32% of the total, and the IEC said young people are still not adequately represented on party lists.

Key facts

Who
Mari Harris (political analyst with Ipsos); Ipsos (pollster that released the Pulse of the People study); Electoral Commission of South Africa (election management body; provided registration statistics)
What
Ahead of the local government elections, Ipsos released its "Pulse of the People" study showing 27% of registered young people are interested in politics and elections versus 33% of older registered voters. Among registered voters aged 18 to 24, the EFF and ANC are tied at 17%, the MK Party has 15% and the DA 13%.
When
3 November 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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