By Sue-Ann de Wet

There is a well-known saying by George Nathan that goes as follows: “Poor state officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” In South Africa you can still make a difference by having your voice heard – even if you live abroad.

What does the process entail to make your vote count?

What do you need to qualify?

To vote whilst living abroad you will need to:

• Be registered at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC);
• Be in possession of a valid South African identity document;
• Be in possession of a valid South African passport; and
• Submit a VEC 10 application form at the IEC.

Many South Africans abroad who are in fact registered voters, however, missed the chance to make their voice heard in the previous national election. The reason for this was that only a small percentage of them knew that they needed to notify the IEC of their intention to vote. That is the reason for the VEC 10 form. This form needs to be submitted within 15 days of the announcement of the election date and will be available at www.elections.org.za.

How do you register?

South Africans abroad can now register online to take part in the South African elections in 2024. Register now.

Eight steps to registering

1. Accept the terms and conditions for registration.
2. Select your nearest South African diplomatic mission.
3. Fill in your South African ID number and upload the picture of your ID.
4. Upload the picture of your South African passport.
5. Fill in your email address to receive confirmation of your registration.
6. Fill in your physical address abroad.
7. Check and confirm your registration details.
8. Check if you received the confirmation email from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Make sure of your citizenship

When emigrating, you can apply for double citizenship if you choose to retain your South African citizenship. It is important to remember that you will need to indicate at an embassy that you wish to retain your South African citizenship before your new citizenship is registered. If you never officially emigrated, but simply live outside South African borders, your citizenship may be cancelled after three years. It is however possible to reapply for your citizenship if it was cancelled. Only South Africans who are still officially citizens of South Africa will be allowed to register to vote.

Where do you vote?

On the specified election day, you will be able to vote with your ID and passport (both documents are necessary and must still be valid) at your nearest embassy, high commission or consulate general. The IEC promised to make available additional voting stations in places like Sydney and Perth, seeing as some voters previously had to drive hundreds of kilometres to get to a voting station.

Stay updated

Make sure you know when the election date will be announced by following the IEC on social media.

Follow AfriForum Worldwide’s Facebook page and subscribe to the Spotlight newsletter to keep abreast of important information.

Send an email to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) at info@election.org.za for any technical problems that you experience during the online registration process.

Make sure you register for the 2024 general election so that your cross will be counted. Also, encourage your friends and family to register online and take part in the South African elections in 2024.

Also read: Voter registration weekend abroad: 26 and 27 or 27 and 28 January 2024