Former DA MP and founder of the non-profit organization, Ground Work Collective, Mbali Ntuli, has made it her life’s mission to get young people registered to vote.

But what’s so special about young people in these elections, anyway?

According to Mbali, “young people have much to gain in this country”, but they don’t the chance to make their own decisions on issues that affect them such as education and unemployment.

“If we want to have a South Africa where young people have a stake in this country, they are goin to have to come out and start actively participating in their communities.”

However, getting people who aren’t interested in politics to vote is a mission, she says.

Addressing the barriers of youth engagement in the political process, Mbali highlights the need for comprehensive civic education from an early age.

She says that majority of young people don’t even know what terms such as ward committee, ward councillor, and MP mean.

“We have not done enough to have that civic information imparted into young people so that when they do become of age to participate politically, they already know what’s happening.”

She advocates for open dialogues around the dinner table, where young people can actively engage with issues of governance and civic responsibility from an early stage, laying the groundwork for informed and empowered citizenship.

The lack of interest in civic participation from the youth also comes from how “young people are put off by the way political parties and leaders behave”.

She explains that the youth find political leaders quite foreign to them.

“The median age in South Africa is 27 and the media age in parliament is 67. So young people don’t see themselved represented even in the structures of the political leaders that make decisions on their behalf.”

As South Africa witnesses the emergence of new political movements, Mbali sees an opportunity for political renewal and youth empowerment.

She applaus the diversity of voices entering the political arena, emhasizing the importance of competition in holding parties accountable and ensuring responsive governance.

The apolitical activist encourages young South Africans to “think about what affects them and what change they want to see in society,” and then “look for a political party that best talks to those needs.”

Highlighting the crucial role of staying informed, she encourages young people to thoroughly examine the different political party manifestors and actively engage with these parties and their leaders on social media. By doing so, they can stay updated on their activities and statements. This way, when Election Day arrives on May 29, they can confidently make well-informed decisions.

“There’s never going to be a perfect political party, but you need to vote because if you don’t vote, someone else will and they’ll get a say on who wins the elections.”

The CEO of Ground Work has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at igniting a sense of civic duty and democratic fervour among SA’s young population.

She has been instrumental in spearheading a registration drive aimed at engaging the country’s 12 million unregistered young people.

THrough innovative initiatives like the X_Change Campaign, which incentivizes behavioural shifts towards active civic participation, Mbali and her team are redefining the narrative of democracy as a dynamic and inclusive endeavour.

In Mbali Ntuli’s vision, the path to a thriving democracy in South Africa lies in the active engagement and empowerment of its youth.

As the nation stands on the cusp of a new era, her words serve as a rallying cry for a generation poised to shape the future of their country.