The Electoral Commission of South Africa recorded more than 290,000 first-time voter registrations during its final nationwide registration weekend.
More than 1.7 million people visited voting stations across the country during the two-day campaign.
The registration drive was the IEC’s second and final weekend campaign ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
Combined, the registration weekends held in June and August added more than 750,000 new voters to the national voters’ roll.
Since the 2024 general election, about 2.1 million new voters have registered.
Most voters registered in person
IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said most applications were still completed at physical voting stations.
Of the roughly 1.7 million applications recorded during the weekend, 1,555,318 were submitted at registration stations.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest level of station-based activity, with 386,258 applications.
The Eastern Cape followed with 295,655, while Gauteng recorded 228,364 station-based transactions.
The IEC’s online portal processed 238,733 transactions over the two days.
Mamabolo said online registration was growing, but most South Africans continued to prefer visiting voting stations in person.
Physical registration drives have ended
Eligible South Africans can no longer register at physical voting stations after the IEC concluded its in-person registration campaigns.
However, people who still need to register or update their details can continue using the IEC’s online platform.
Voters can use the website to check their registration status, update their address information or register for the first time.
The IEC has encouraged citizens to confirm that their details are correct before voting day.
Voters urged to check their details
The strong turnout during the final weekend reflects continued interest in participating in the municipal elections.
First-time registrations will add thousands of new voices to decisions affecting local services, including water, electricity, roads and waste collection.
South Africans who missed the physical registration weekend still have an opportunity to complete the process online.
The IEC has urged eligible voters not to wait until the last minute and to ensure they are correctly registered in the ward where they live.