Elections in South Africa

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Elections in South Africa include elections for the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), the provincial legislatures, and municipal councils. Elections are held on a five-year cycle and are conducted by the Electoral Commission (IEC), which is an independent body established by the constitution. The most recent elections for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures were held in 2024, while the most recent elections for municipal councils were held in 2021.

In elections for the National Assembly every South African citizen who is 18 or older is eligible to vote, including (since the 2014 election) those resident outside South Africa. Voters must be registered with the Electoral Commission and have a identity card or book. In elections for a provincial legislature or municipal council, only those resident within the province or municipality may vote.

The electoral system for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures is based on party-list proportional representation, which means that parties are represented in proportion to their electoral support. Since 2024 independent candidates have also been able to stand for election. For municipal councils there is a mixed-member system in which wards elect individual councillors alongside those named from party lists.