Electoral Reform
Consultation Panel

This is the final report of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel (ERCP) established by the National Assembly of South Africa to recommend reforms to the national and provincial electoral systems.

Read the executive summary Go to the recommendations Download the full report (PDF)

Front matter

1. Executive Summarypp. 7–10
2. Prefacepp. 12–14

Chapters

1. 1Introductionpp. 16–18
2. 2History of Franchise and Negotiations on the Electoral Systempp. 20–31
3. 3Previous Electoral Reviewspp. 33–40
4. 4Electoral System Design and International Trends in Electoral Reformpp. 42–64
5. 5Public Participationpp. 66–89
6. 6Electoral System Optionspp. 99–118
7. 7Recommendations for Reformpp. 120–121

Appendices

1. 1Overview of Variations in Proportional Representation Systemspp. 123–126
2. 2Two-Tier Compensatory Systemsp. 127
3. 3Gender Representation in South Africapp. 128–131
4. 4Survey Questionnairepp. 132–141

All 21 figures

1. Figure 1 South Africa’s Nine Regional Multi-Member Constituencies
2. Figure 2 Gallagher Index of Disproportionality and ERCP Electoral System Options
3. Figure 3 The Accountability Relationship between Voters and Elected Representatives
4. Figure 4 Accountability Relationships in Different Electoral Systems
5. Figure 5 Seat Product Model and Electoral Thresholds
6. Figure 6 Topics Covered in Written Submissions
7. Figure 7 Electoral System Preferences Expressed in Written Submissions
8. Figure 8 Electoral System Preferences Identified by Political Parties and Independent Candidate Groups
9. Figure 9 Electoral System Preferences Identified by Researchers, CSOs and Activists
10. Figure 10 Number of Registered Voters Per Constituency
11. Figure 11 South Africa compared to equivalent PR systems with compensatory seats
12. Figure 12 Satisfaction with Democracy in South Africa
13. Figure 13 Support for Democracy in South Africa
14. Figure 14 Average District Magnitude Across Proportional Representation Systems
15. Figure 15 Size of Constituencies in Proportional Representation Systems by Number of Registered Voters
16. Figure 16 Size of Constituencies and the Percentage of Seats Allocated for Compensation152
17. Figure 17 Women’s Representation in the National Assembly Including Regional and National Lists
18. Figure 18 Female Representation in Provincial Legislatures (2024)
19. Figure 19 Women’s Representation in Local and Provincial Government
20. Figure 20 Women’s Representation and the Size of Multi-Member Districts
21. Figure 21 Women’s Representation in Relation to the Size of Regional Constituencies