ANC losing youth support: study

THE ANC HAS substantially lost support of young people in the country, with more of the youth from both rural and urban areas moving to the EFF, according to a report by Afrobarometer.

A research network that conducts public surveys, Afrobarometer asked South Africans who they would vote for if elections were to be held the next day. The report was conducted to gauge South Africans’ attitudes towards political parties, and their intention to vote.

The Afrobarometer team in the country, led by Plus 94 Research, interviewed 1800 adult South Africans in August/September.

Jamy Felton, a researcher at the institute, said: “With the age gap we find that 60% of older South Africans feel that they will vote for the ANC. There is a large proportion of young people who say that they will vote for the EFF, with 17% under 25 and 14% of people between the ages of 26-35.”

The report also noted that the majority of South Africans were willing to give the ANC another chance at governing the country, while the DA had lost supporters.

“We find that about half of South Africans, 48%, they say they would vote for the ANC if elections were held tomorrow. Of the two major opposition parties, the EFF and the DA, 11% of South Africans say they will vote for the EFF and the DA,” Felton said.

However, he said that the ruling party and the DA had experienced declines in their support bases.

“This means that the opposition has levelled up. The DA lost votes, while the EFF increased theirs.”

The DA’s loss in support is attributed to the recent infighting within the party that saw Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille agreeing to step down.

When it comes to the rural and urban breakdown, 87% of DA supporters are in urban areas, followed by 62% of ANC supporters and 68% of EFF supporters.