South Africa ranks as having the third highest number of cybersecurity losses, around 2.2 billion a year, based on the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC).

While the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) hosts the three-day conference on electronic voting, concerns surrounding cybersecurity and end-user accessibility raise a lot of blood pressure.

"We must prioritize the development of secure and transparent e-voting systems that can withstand sophisticated cyber threats," said Terry Tselane, Executive Chair of the IEC, during his interview with SABC. "Public trust is paramount, and any perceived vulnerability could undermine the legitimacy of our elections."

Public trust remains elusive as many are still in the dark regarding cybersecurity. Research conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2024 shows that 32% of employees in the government sector have no knowledge of cybersecurity. And 63% of skill gaps remain vacant, which raises eyebrows.

"Many of our communities lack basic digital infrastructure and skills," said Nombikhona Dlamini. "If we implement e-voting, we risk disempowering the already marginalized communities."

The IEC has made it clear that any implementation of e-voting will be approached with extreme caution and that public trust and security are their highest priorities. They also stated that e-voting is not planned for the 2026 local government and the 2029 national polls.

“I did not vote last year because I was working, and the lines were too long coming back from work, and I had to stand in the queue, which was just cumbersome for me,” said Lesego Mokgatle.

South Africa is facing a significant drop in voters; last year 27.7 million registered and only 16.2 million cast their votes. Recording a jaw-dropping 45% decline compared to 86% in 1994.

The conference is on day two at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), discussing more pressing topics:

Technology Demonstrations: Leading technology manufacturers showcased their latest e-voting systems, giving attendees a glimpse of future election technologies.

Policy Discussions: The conference featured in-depth discussions on the policy implications of e-voting, with a focus on addressing cybersecurity and accessibility challenges.

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