Census 2011 maps

Percentage registered voters: Summary

As at 11 November 2013

After the general voter registration drive on the 9th and 10th of November 2013, the Electoral Commission has analysed the number of registered voters in relation to the Census 2011 voting age population estimates received from Statistics South Africa. The current 24.1 million registered voters are compared to the estimated 31.4 million eligible voters by age group, province and municipality.

A downloadable file containing the data, is available at the bottom.

Summary

One of the main findings indicates that 23% of potential voters in the 18 and 19 year age category are currently registered as voters. This is an increase of 14% from before the registration weekend. The highest percentage, i.e. 27%, was achieved respectively in the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. Gauteng, with 19% in this age band registered as voters, has the lowest percentage.

In the age band 20 – 29 years, some 55% of potential voters are currently registered to vote. The highest percentage of 66% is in the Eastern Cape with the Western Cape at 46% and Gauteng at 44% at the lower end of the scale.

In the various age bands for persons 30 years and older the percentage of registered voters increases dramatically and varies from 79% to 100% for those who are 80 years and older – in fact, in the latter age group we have more registered voters than the census indicated.

Overall, the Eastern Cape and Free State have the highest rate of potential voters currently registered at 82.9% and 82.5% respectively, whilst Western Cape at 73.9%, Mpumalanga at 75.2% and Gauteng at 72.5%, trail the overall current national average of 76.7% of potential voters registered.

Registration rates vary greatly amongst municipalities and there are a few small municipalities, with low population figures, where the indication is that most, if not all, potential voters are registered to vote – statistical distortions can, however, occur more easily with lower rather than higher numbers. The registration patterns per municipality vary from province to province but generally speaking the percentage of registered voters in rural municipalities tends to be higher than is the case in urban and in particular most metropolitan municipalities. Of particular interest is the tendency that the registration rates in different areas within many municipalities are significantly different.

A representation of language use: Census 2011

Foreword

The use and spread of languages in South Africa is one of the important factors with which the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has to grapple. South Africa has 11 official languages. Added to these is the language of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Sign Language.

The IEC goes to great lengths to match its information, education and voting station material to the patterns of language use and spread in each area be it a province, a district/metro, a municipality or a ward.

The information contained in this publication is taken from South Africa’s 2011 Census data as it relates to only South African Citizens. The geographical patterns of predominant home language and predominant second language are illustrated in the first set of maps.

The second set of maps presents the predominant home language used in each municipality in a percentage.

In order to keep the maps readable, only municipal codes and index numbers are displayed. A reference table is included with the names of the municipalities for ease of reference.

This representation is a useful planning tool not just for the IEC but for a range of other organizations in South Africa who are continuously making an effort to improve the manner in which they interact with South Africans.

The Electoral Commission
July 2013

Maps

A downloadable maps containing the data are available below.