A statement was issued announcing that the IEC has declared an official voter registration weekend for South African citizens living abroad.

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, was assured that preparations are well underway across all South African missions abroad for registration weekends, special voting and setting up of infrastructure for voting when the voting dates are announced.

The Minister congratulated the teams on the good work that has been done thus far and urged them to keep the nation informed and to meet regularly to iron out any outstanding matters.

“From the briefing, it is clear that the IEC and our team here at DIRCO are hard at work to ensure that South Africans living abroad can vote in all our diplomatic missions. It is very important that the infrastructure is in place so that all South Africans can exercise their democratic right,” said Minister Sisulu.

If you have already registered

According to the IEC, citizens who are living abroad and who are already registered to vote do not need to re-register, but they will need to fill in a VEC10 form once the date of the election is announced.

You can click here to check your registration status.

If you have not yet registered

Registration will take place during office hours at South Africa’s 120 foreign missions – including embassies, high commissions and consulates. If you are returning to South Africa over the festive season, you can register to vote then.

If you are a South African citizen wishing to register, you need to present yourself in person at your nearest South African mission. To apply for registration you will need to present both your South African ID and your South African passport.

Who is eligible to register to vote?

All South African citizens aged 16 and older who are in possession of an official South African ID – a barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID or a temporary ID certificate – are eligible to register.

Important dates

Whilst the exact date of the election is not yet known, it is expected to take place between 7 and 31 May 2019.

The Overseas Voter Registration weekend will take place on the following four dates: 1 February – 4 February from 9:00 until 17:00.

For more information or for any queries you may have, please click here or mail info@votehome.org