Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
5 April 2025 | 13:00 CAT
3 min read

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has opened the door to a potentially digital future for South African elections, launching national discussions on the feasibility of e-voting. A three-day international conference in March sparked the start of this conversation, with public consultations now underway.

With long queues, low voter turnout, and increasingly complex ballot papers, the move to electronic voting may seem inevitable in a world rapidly embracing digital solutions. But IEC Gauteng Provincial Electoral Officer, Thabo Masemula, says that it is more complicated than that. He told Radio Islam that there are a number of factors, considering the challenges that arose in the 2024 national and provincial elections.

“You also know that the ballot papers in South Africa are becoming lengthier and more complex, especially because now we have diverse participants, not only political parties, but independent candidates as well,” he added.

Masemula noted the IEC is not rushing the decision but rather engaging the country in an open conversation about what e-voting could look like, and what challenges lie ahead. “In March, we hosted an international conference to look at the feasibility of introducing electronic voting in South Africa. However, there are other things that we need to consider before we arrive at that decision,” he said.

Among those considerations are the legal framework, telecommunications infrastructure and the country’s level of digital literacy. “For instance, do we have the necessary legislative framework in place to facilitate electronic voting? What about issues of low digital literacy in the country, especially in rural areas? And what about the deficits of coverage in terms of telecommunications in South Africa?” Masemula explained.

One of the biggest concerns is cybersecurity. “One of the most serious issues of concern has to do with data security,” he highlighted.

Masemula said there is plenty that South Africa can learn from other countries. “There are countries in the world that are using electronic voting. For instance, in Brazil and India, they are using electronic voting. A country such as Estonia, for instance, they’re using Internet voting,” he said.

He explained that it’s important to understand the different types of e-voting. “E-voting can be categorised as poll-site voting, where you go to designated locations, such as voting stations, to cast your vote. And Internet voting allows voters to cast their votes anywhere, for as long as they have access to the Internet,” he said.

Namibia, a smaller country with fewer voters, has implemented e-voting, but not without hurdles. “They’ve experienced some challenges. But what is interesting is that a country like DRC, for the longest time, they’ve tested electronic voting, and I think it works for the environment,” said Masemula.

So, where to from here?

“The discussion will have to carry on, so that we engage and solicit as many views as possible,” said Masemula. He outlined a timeline that includes public engagement sessions running until September. “We hope that there will be further submissions made by public stakeholders regarding this matter. And then we’ll finalize our draft policy document that will be presented to policymakers,” he added.

But the IEC is in no rush. “It’s still a long journey that we have to undertake. We need to make sure that we build trust in the process. We address all the concerns,” he said.

That includes updating legislation, improving digital literacy, ensuring local technology development, and safeguarding cybersecurity. “We need to build public trust first before we even arrive at the decision whether to implement or not to implement electronic voting in the country,” stressed Masemula.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Thabo Masemula, IEC Gauteng Provincial Electoral Officer, here.