Should voting be compulsory in South Africa? Here’s what a scholar says

Amy MacIver speaks to writer and scholar, Jonny Steinberg, about his News 24 piece  “What if all South Africans HAD to vote”.

Listen below:

Mexico, Argentina, Australia and Egypt.

Citizens of these countries are compelled, by law, to vote come election time.

Indeed, as of 2025, 26 nations have a policy of mandatory voting and the penalties for not doing so, can mean hefty fines.

So, is it time - will it ever be time - to introduce compulsory voting in South Africa?

Johnny Steinberg poses the question.

"Voter turnout in South African is worringly low, it's 40%."

Jonny Steinberg, News 24 columnist

And that low turnout isn't evenly spread across the population, he says. Its impact is clear in the issues that dominate politics today, he adds.

"Racial minorities vote in much , much greater numbers than Black people, older people more than young people and wealthier people more than poorer people."

Jonny Steinberg, News 24 columnist

Steinburg suggests that almost every controversy in South Africa over the past year has been a burning issue for the middle class.

He provides the examples of the NHI Act, as it relates to healthcare services, the Expropriation Act, as it pertains to land ownership, and the Bela Act, which relates to education.

"Middle class participation in politics is animated by holding onto those services and that is, at the moment what politics is about in South Africa."

Jonny Steinberg, News 24 columnist

Many listeners to the Afternoon Drive on CapeTalk believed that the introduction of compulsory voting would undermine the core of democracy.

Steinberg disagrees:

"Well, there are many democracies around the world where people are forced to vote."

Jonny Steinberg, News 24 columnist

"The argument really is that you are a citizen and being a citizen comes with rights and obligations. If you throw in voting as an obligation that doesn't make it any less of a democracy."

Jonny Steinberg, News 24 columnist

Has the time come to make voting mandatory in South Africa? Scroll up to audio player to listen to the full conversation from Afternoon Drive