Are SA’s Youth Politically Disconnected?

In Trends

Last week we saw the generation, who marched fervently in the name of free education, consider whether it would be worthwhile to cast their vote in the municipal elections. From their attitudes toward voting it was clear that SA’s youth, who represented approximately 25% of the electorate (consisting of 18 – 29 year olds), are uninterested and distrusting of their country’s government.  Is it that the youth don’t care or that they are indifferent to the decisions being made in parliament? We uncover six thought-provoking findings around the youth’s apparent political disconnect in South Africa.

1. Apathy vs. Knowing Their Cause

They are more politically aware and proactive about change than ever, showing a keen interest in what’s happening in South Africa, but not when it comes to getting involved in sketchy politics. Student related articles headlined all over the country speculating whether the youth would bother voting and published so called “barometers” of the youth’s attitude to elections.  Otherwise described as aspirant, daring and innovative, SA’s youth were depicted as apathetic, sceptical and uninspired to vote.

Contrary to this, after voting, the youth were at the forefront of voicing their views, concerns and satisfaction or dissatisfaction on social media. Their lack of enthusiasm to vote stemmed from the fact that the youth weren’t clear on what exactly they were making their mark for, left to vote in the dark.

2. They’re Not Fooled By Hype

When youth took to social media, they didn’t voice their thoughts on the winning party but rather cast their sights to the imminent rise of hashtags and the toe-to-toe battle between parties for major metros.  From their recollection of the ANC’s attempt to create hype around itself with celebrity performances and #Sinevalo which means “we have no fear”, to #IfDAWins jokes flooding Twitter.

Unfortunately, hype did not translate to votes from the youth market. Instead, trying to be cool was lambasted as an insulting tactic used by parties to persuade the youth, undermining their intelligence and the important issues they fight for.

3. “Better The Devil You Know”

Political parties should pay more attention to educating youth on their policies and what they stand for if they expect to sway their vote. They should not expect them to vote based on perception and influence of family or friends, previous voting choices or hype. Students would rather not vote than choose sides with a party they don’t know anything about.

With stigmas around different parties being used by competing parties who were desperate to rally votes, politicians were not winning over the youth but rather alienating them from voting at all.

4. Voter Envy

Students have diminished trust in politicians and politics and some were of the opinion that voting would be irrelevant, compared to the progress they’ve managed to achieve in organising solutions themselves and protesting.  Now, students who didn’t vote are regretting their choice having seen the difference active voters affected this year.

Youth are not particularly trusting of political parties in general, no matter their approach or the possibility that they could implement better governance, but the sentiment is that casting a vote this year would have been better than not.

5. Uninterested To Interested

It appeared as though the youth grew interested in what the elections outcome would be, almost overnight. Having grown tired of corruption and a lack of change, the youth of SA stayed glued to their screens in anticipation of the election results. An air of panic could be noted when DA took the lead in some metros, giving rise to the apartheid stigma, whilst others had hope for change and democracy. In the midst of their fears and uncertainty, students’ lack of knowledge on what happens in government at a provincial and municipal level could be noted.

Afrillennials™ research shows that SA’s youth want to make a positive difference to South Africa. Promotion of equality and finding solutions to student debt, are only some of the issues raised by Afrillennials™ in the past. They are also concerned about SA’s political situation and an uncertain future, related to education, job security and poverty. As a microcosm of the country, they want to affect change, but now look to venture beyond just influencing change in the student market.

6. On To The Next One

As South Africans get comfortable with the excitement around having some political changes to look forward to (or loathe), students will move on swiftly to the next issue. Much like the elation or disappointment experienced at the end of a rugby game, the youth will live for the moment and deal with the consequences as they arise. The reason for this is they have a voice and are more interested in being the change than they are keen to put their trust in politics as their sole solution. Government should anticipate that it’s a matter of time before the youth feel the need to stand up for their views and take matters into their own hands again. Creative politics will no doubt be on order from this generation – what a time to be alive!