JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s high internet penetration has enabled robust political participation through digital platforms such as Facebook, X, WhatsApp, YouTube, and TikTok.
However, participation has not translated into action where it matters the most: The ballot box.
Political analyst Jessie Montshi said more needs to be done to bridge the gap between online political engagement and actual participation in elections, especially among young people.
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According to Montshi, some young people are more comfortable participating online but are less likely to participate when it comes to voting.
"They'd rather sit and watch the election going on behind the screen.”
Montshi believes that civic education is needed to encourage more people to turn their online political interest into actions at the ballot box.
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But this does not simply mean the traditional way of doing things such as embarking on door-to-door canvassing or embarking on campaign trails in communities.
“This civic education needs to be started at a foundational level, whether it's from schools, including robust campaigns that must be online everywhere. And it mustn't be those boring campaigns where it's just an ad here and there.
“It must communicate how people are communicating online. So not boring, something that must be robust, and then at least that will make a difference.”