Today’s observation looks at insights from our 30/30/30 Project, which highlight the driving force behind GenZ’s political activity and voting habits.
What you’ll find will enlighten and surprise you on how this generation is navigating this area of their lives.
Continue reading to find out more.
What we learnt:
How much do you participate in politics?
23% of the respondents do not participate much in politics, while 27% indicating that they do not participate in politics at all. Questions arise as to whether this is a symptom of apathy or disillusionment. There are tinges of disillusionment coming from the sections that share their attitudes on democracy and voting.
“I don’t feel like we really are in a democratic nation.” – Gigi (20, Black, female)
“For me to even have feelings, I’d have to know what the true definition of democracy is …It’s a bigger picture when you are talking about us as a unity and us as South Africa… But is that even there to begin with? So, absolutely no comment about democracy.” – Hlengiwe (28, Black, female)
One individual we spoke to who actively participates in politics and is vocal about why they do. The data we collected does not tell us why the South African cohort of this generation is not interested in participating in politics. The quote below gives us insight into what could motivate Gen Z to be involved in politics.
“I live by one value, and I take it throughout and that value is accountability. You know, and part of the reason why I vote for the EFF is because they hold people accountable. Yeah. And I believe so much in that I believe so much in giving back to what belongs to the people and, you know, people deserve the whole world if I could put it like that. So my political choices are driven by my values entirely.” – Lerato (27, Black, female)
Interestingly, these young individuals do not put a link between their attitude towards democracy/ voting and their voting behaviour with political activity. They have placed politics and voting in different compartments or believe their participation is not politically driven but driven by other things, such as their values and duty to their ancestors.
What does the research/experts say:
There is considerable debate underway leading up to our 29 May 2024 elections as to whether low voter registration among the youth can be attributed to apathy or disillusionment. Understanding this distinction could help drive our efforts in the right direction to bump up the number of youth voters. Apathy suggests that youth are passive and are willing to allow the rest of the country to decide their fate. Disillusionment on the other hand suggests that their dissatisfaction is causing them to actively refrain from voting. The reality is far more nuanced.
Despite the majority of our cohort being registered to vote, many are unsure of who they will vote for. According to Mbali Ntuli, Founder of Ground Work Collective, “Young people… are very political in some cases, [just] not party political. We have protests every single day, but you also see a lot of young people getting involved in communities, doing community work… where they feel that they have some sort of agency and power.” However, in South Africa, only 9% of young people engage in protest action, 22% frequently talk about politics and 30% have ever attended a community meeting, according to a thought piece ‘Busting the “disillusioned youth” myth’ by political commentator Gareth van Onselen. They prefer to use their agency and time outside of the realm of party politics to make a difference that yields tangible results.
In the US, young voters are disillusioned, with many of them citing the impact of the pandemic, inflation, the current political landscape, bills voted in and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as reasons. Their disillusionment does not mean they will not show up to vote, but they do not expect that voting will bring about the change. They believe change is possible outside the formal political structures governing our democracy.
Regarding the disillusionment narrative, all South Africans are increasingly disillusioned and there is scant evidence to suggest that it is particularly affecting the youth to a disproportionate degree. Another flaw in the disillusionment argument is that why have we not seen these disillusioned youth come together to form their political party? We should not, however, paint a picture of the youth as being lazy, ignorant and disinterested in the future of this country. Perhaps they have more immediate concerns that they are devoting their limited time and attention to such as keeping themselves and their families financially afloat.
What can businesses and policymakers do about this?
Youth participation in politics is critical for the development and growth of business and government. Governments can create awareness of when and how the younger portion of this generation can register to vote. They need to emphasise the importance of registration and participation in the voting process. They also need to expose the youth to other avenues of political participation (local government level). They need to make youth part of the change so they can see the results in their communities. Partnerships between businesses and organisations that mobilise youth in political activity are good. An example of such organisation doing their part is Futureelect, a civic learning education app created by Democratic Alliances, Lindiwe Mazibuko and Dr Sithembile Mbete, a lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. Another example is YohVote, a Tinder-like app encouraging youth to participate in the upcoming elections. Policymakers and businesses need to understand that voting is just the first step to political activity and that there will need to be many more opportunities created for employees and civic society to be actively involved in politics.
By Flux Trends
The data and quotes mentioned above refer to a project that we are in the midst of, in conjunction with Student Village called “The 30/30/30 Project” whereby we collected insights from 30 South Africans, under the age of 30, 30 years into our new democracy.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Use these and many more insights from the 30/30/30 Project Report to BUILD your team, by booking a Bridgebuilder™ Workshop.
Close the generation gap and dive into the future of work and how to manage it.
There is a 15% discount for booking this workshop for September 2024.
Contact Bethea Clayton at connected@fluxtrends.co.za or +27764539405, to claim your discount!
—
Image credit: Andre Hunter
