Civics Workshop: Registering Our Over-16s as Voters

Circulated to schools on 21 July 2026. The voters’ roll for the 2026 local government elections closed on or about 4 August 2026, so registration for that election has passed — but the workshop programme is ongoing and the invitation to schools stands. Email info@samnet.co.za.

To school principals, educators and student bodies — open to all schools.

SAMNET has been working with the public and with civic organisations, including the IEC, for more than eighteen years to increase awareness, political participation and public understanding of the electoral process.

Over the past year we have taken part in a broader community initiative, with other organisations and leaders, to increase youth political engagement in South Africa.

The workshop

SAMNET has developed a 45-minute to 90-minute workshop focused on educating and motivating young people, and on increasing voter registration — aimed specifically at Grade 11 and 12 learners and university students.

We ran a successful session at Orient Islamic School in 2025, attended by the IEC, who registered students on site immediately afterwards.

This aligns with a key measurable objective of the broader programme: increasing voter registration within the community by 30%, as a prerequisite to greater participation in elections and in political life.

The vision

Every student should become a registered voter before leaving school.

Every year thousands of learners obtain their IDs ahead of matric exam registration. We would like it to become standard practice that schools — with whatever support is needed — get their students onto the voters’ roll at the same time.

Whether a student chooses to vote, and who they vote for, is theirs to decide later. What matters is that the option exists, and that it is secured long before an election.

What the workshop covers

An opening exercise on the historical context — why voting in South Africa matters.
Discussion and Q&A on the electoral process, its value, and civic responsibility.
Who can register, and how.
A practical exercise: registering every participant via the IEC website, or with an IEC team on site.
A short feedback survey.

SAMNET is apolitical. The workshop addresses civic and social participation. There is no compulsion to vote, and no support offered for or against any party.

Measuring impact

We count the students participating and the students and staff registered, because an initiative that cannot show its effect cannot be argued for.

Way forward

Please send your school’s interest with available dates and times — school name, address, contact person, cell number, email, principal or contact person’s name, and preferred dates — to info@samnet.co.za or WhatsApp 084 333 3979. Where possible, consider consolidating several schools into one workshop.

Voter Registration at Orient Islamic School · Why Every Voter Counts · Why Registering for the Local Government Elections Is Critical

Shared by the South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) in the interest of increasing civic participation, political activism, and awareness of the electoral process.