South Africans living abroad have cast their votes in the 2024 General Elections on the second day of a three-day exercise.
Over 76,000 voters across 111 missions worldwide are exercising their right to vote in this year’s elections, which are expected to conclude on May 29th in South Africa.
On Friday it was a turn of those who are in the Middle East and on Saturday it was Asia, Europe, North and South America, and countries on the African continent.
There was an intermittent flow of South Africans at a polling station in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
At an estimated 200 nationals, the number of South Africans living in Dar es Salaam is relatively small compared to other parts of the world.
Officials say some of them travelled hundreds of kilometers to vote in the commercial capital Dar es salaam – a demonstration of high voter enthusiasm in the diaspora.
Elections 2024 | SA expats vote – Isaac Lukando updates from Tanzania:
South Africans living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also used their opportunity to cast their ballots, as polls opened for the diaspora in the central African country. More than 4,000 South Africans have been registered to vote.
The vast majority of them are soldiers engaged in peacekeeping.
The South African ambassador to the DRC, Abel Mxolisi Shilubane described the exercise as peaceful.
Elections 2024 | South Africans in DRC cast their ballots: Chris Ocamringa reports:
About 240 South Africans are eligible to vote in Maseru in Lesotho. On Saturday, the voting station opened on time and without much hassles.
By 11am, at least 20 people had already cast their vote.
2024 Elections | South Africans in Lesotho cast their votes:
In Zimbabwe close to 200 voters were expected to show up at the South African mission in Harare.
Elections 2024 | SA Embassy in Zimbabwe ready to assist South African voters: Desiree Moodley
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says voters at 102 missions with a Monday to Friday work week were given one day to vote.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, with over 24,000 registered voters, has been allocated two days to vote.
Votes cast abroad will be transported back to South Africa to be counted after the May 29th vote.
South Africans abroad hope that, despite being thousands of miles from home, their voices will also be heard.
2024 Elections | South Africans abroad come out in their numbers to vote: Sophie Mokoena:
