South Africa uses a proportional representation electoral system at the national level, with voluntary party quotas in place for the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters. The electoral system was changed for the 2024 elections to allow independent candidates to stand. This followed a 2019 court case that challenged the Electoral Act in the Constitutional Court. The First Nations People argued that political parties are alien to them and do not give them a voice in national affairs.

Only two of the six independent candidates in the 2024 elections were women, and none made it through. Women’s representation in South Africa’s National Assembly dropped from 46% in 2020 to 43% following the 29 May 2024 elections, which saw the ANC win less than half (40%) of the votes for the first time.  

At the local government level, South Africa uses a mixed electoral system with a legislated candidate quota. In the 2021 local elections, the ANC also lost ground in the 2024 national elections. As a result, women’s representation in local government dipped from 41% to 37%.