Qualitative study explores declining youth voter participation, indicating disillusionment with democracy.
As South Africa grapples with declining youth voter participation, recent research challenges the idea that young people simply do not care about democracy. Instead, many are deeply disillusioned, questioning whether voting can improve their lives. Findings from the HSRC’s Your Voice, Your Choice study reveal how unemployment, broken promises and lived realities are reshaping how young people value democracy.
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Human Sciences Research Council (2026) studied this question.
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