Are SA’s women voters the deciding factor in the 2026 elections? IRR to release new polling report

On Monday 31 August, the final day of Women’s Month, the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) will release a major new polling report examining the political attitudes and party alignment of South African women.

Drawing on six years of IRR polling covering the entire current local government cycle, from 2021 to 2026, the report provides one of the most detailed longitudinal examinations yet of South Africa’s female electorate, tracking how women’s political preferences, priorities, and attitudes have changed through a period of profound political upheaval.

With South Africa entering an increasingly competitive political era, and the 4 November Local Government Elections little more than two months away, the political support of women voters is likely to prove decisive in determining the country’s political direction. Yet South Africa’s women voters have long been a surprisingly under-researched and underappreciated part of the country’s democracy.

The report, IRR Polling 2026: The Political State of Play – SA's Women Voters 2021-2026, will be published on 31 August through an online webinar presented by Hermann Pretorius, author of the IRR’s polling reports since 2024.

Webinar details:

Date: Monday, 31 August 2026

Time: 10h00 – 11h00

Speaker: Hermann Pretorius, IRR Head of Strategic Communications

Register: https://streamyard.com/watch/5MDuNW2qhQHF

Media contact: Hermann Pretorius IRR Head of Strategic Communications Tel: 079 875 4290 Email: hermann@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris IRR head of media Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za