7 Key Takeaways: Cost of Politics
Population: 63.2 million
Head of Government: President Cyril Ramaphosa
Ruling party/coalition: Government of National Unity
Last election: 2024
Next election: 2029
Number of registered voters: 27.8 million
Annual salary of member of legislature: R1.28 million (USD 68,000)
Year of study: 2025
Candidates interviewed reported campaign expenditures ranging from R17,000-1 million, with a median spend of R50,000 during the campaign period.
41.9% of candidates in the 2024 election were female, whilst just 10% of all candidates were under the age of 30, with the majority (54%) in the 40-60 age bracket.
South Africa’s closed-list PR model places significant power in the hands of party leadership, making internal selection processes highly competitive.
For candidates from established parties, the final stretch of the election was often backed by centralised party resources, but for candidates from smaller parties, and independents, the financial burden again rested on the individual.
Beyond monetary concerns, the emotional toll of running for office becomes acutely evident in the post-election phase.
Balancing political ambition with domestic responsibilities places an additional burden on female aspirants, as compared to men, that required additional financial and emotional resources.
The uneven distribution of financial resources, which favours incumbent MPs and candidates from well-funded parties to the detriment of first-time candidates, those in newer parties, as well as independent candidates, means the latter bear a disproportionately higher personal financial burden.
Population: 63.2 million
Head of Government: President Cyril Ramaphosa
Ruling party/coalition: Government of National Unity
Last election: 2024
Next election: 2029
Number of registered voters: 27.8 million
Annual salary of member of legislature: R1.28 million (USD 68,000)
Year of study: 2025
Key Findings
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Context
- The country’s electoral framework, political party landscape, and campaign financing regulations are crucial in shaping political competition and access to office.
- South Africa employs a proportional representation (PR) electoral system with 400 parliamentary seats allocated based on the percentage of votes each party receives across two lists. The 200 regional seats, which are distributed based on a quota system, are spread across the country’s nine regions based on the number of registered voters. Following a constitutional court ruling in 2023 , these seats can be contested by both political parties and independent candidates. The 200 national seats, contested only by political parties, are then assigned by subtracting the number of regional seats a party receives from their total national allocation to generate a maximally proportional result.
- South Africa has a system of state funding for political parties, with the introduction of the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) in 2018 enhancing transparency and fairness in the distribution of these funds. The PPFA authorizes the IEC to administer two funds to support political party financing, the Represented Political Parties Fund (RPPF) and the Multiparty Democracy Fund (MPDF).
- Although the PPFA currently mandates that political parties disclose donations exceeding this threshold, it does not impose spending limits on parties or candidates during election periods. The absence of spending caps allows well-funded parties to outspend their competitors, creating an uneven playing field in which smaller parties and independent candidates, who lack comparable financial resources, are disadvantaged.
Drivers of the cost of politics
- Before candidates formally enter the race, they must make financial and personal investments to establish their credibility, secure party nominations, and lay the groundwork for their campaigns. While this phase presents challenges for all aspirants, those without established networks or financial backing, particularly young candidates, women, and those from smaller or newer parties, face the greatest barriers.
- A key financial hurdle at this stage is the cost of internal party processes, including nomination fees, travel expenses for attending party meetings, and networking efforts to secure endorsements. Candidates must fund these activities personally, with no guarantee of electoral success.
- In addition to financial costs, all aspirants must navigate significant psychological and social pressures. Entering the political space requires managing public scrutiny, balancing existing professional and personal responsibilities, and dealing with the uncertainty of electoral success. Female candidates, in particular, described facing unique personal challenges, especially in their home environments.
- Balancing political ambition with domestic responsibilities places an additional burden on female aspirants, as compared to men, that required additional financial and emotional resources.
- Once the campaign officially begins, financial demands became more acute, with candidates facing mounting costs for transportation, event mobilisation, and volunteer support. But the overall costs for individuals running for office in South Africa are to an extent mitigated by the combination of a PR system that focuses more on parties than candidates and state funding for political parties, which means the bulk of campaign expenditures, especially for candidates representing prominent parties, is covered.
- The uneven distribution of financial resources, which favours incumbent MPs and candidates from well-funded parties to the detriment of first-time candidates, those in newer parties, as well as independent candidates, means the latter bear a disproportionately higher personal financial burden.
- Election day, and the days immediately preceding it, require further expenditure as candidates aim to undertake last-minute campaigning, provide transportation to voters, and deploy recruited observers and party agents to monitor polling stations. For candidates from established parties, the final stretch of the election was often backed by centralised party resources, but for candidates from smaller parties, and independents, the financial burden again rested on the individual.
- Beyond monetary concerns, the emotional toll of running for office becomes acutely evident in the post-election phase. Many candidates spoke of experiencing exhaustion, disillusionment, and in some cases, depression. Candidates who had sacrificed relationships, careers, and financial stability for the campaign now had to grapple with their new reality; whether that meant adjusting to political office or reintegrating into everyday life.
Implications
- Despite South Africa’s constitutional commitment to political equality, financial obstacles continue to disproportionately affect women, young people, and candidates from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Although the PR system means candidates do not bear full financial responsibility for campaigning, many still incur significant personal costs, including travel, accommodation, and constituency engagement, particularly in parties with decentralised financial structures or weak financial backing.
- South Africa’s closed-list PR system ensures that political parties, not individual candidates, are central to elections. While this reduces personal campaign costs, it also reinforces the dominance of established parties. Independent candidates and newcomers from smaller parties struggle to compete, as they lack financial resources and the party machinery necessary for sustained political engagement.
Recommendations
- Public funding for political parties should be linked to their commitment to advance women and youth parity in elected office in South Africa.
- Parties should implement targeted financial assistance for qualified female candidates, including childcare stipends, travel cost subsidies for single mothers, and resources to ensure personal safety during campaigning.
- To encourage sustainable youth participation, parties should create youth-friendly campaign structures that reduce personal costs, such as localised campaign strategies that minimise travel expenses.
- Increase IEC funds to enable greater investment in its outreach programmes, particularly for voter education initiatives, targeted towards youth and rural and underrepresented communities, to increase voter awareness and engagement.
- Political parties, civil society organisations, and government agencies should collaborate to create post-election support programmes for unsuccessful candidates.
