TUT SRC Elections voter turnout increases to 55.8% as Polokwane voting surges

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) recorded 2 487 more votes in the 2026 SRC Elections compared with 2025, with the number of votes cast increasing from 37 281 to 39 768. This represents a 55.8% voter turnout during the elections, which took place on 9 to 11 September 2026.

Jonas Maged, Acting Executive Director: SAED. The most significant increase was recorded at Polokwane Campus, where votes rose from 2 758 in 2025 to 15 232 in 2026. This represents an increase of 12 474 votes, or 452.28%, making Polokwane the standout campus in this year’s election figures.

Other campuses also recorded increases in the number of votes cast. Mbombela increased by 858 votes, from 2 343 to 3 201, while Ga-Rankuwa rose by 346 votes, from 4 461 to 4 807.

At eMalahleni, votes increased from 2 658 to 2 861, an increase of 203 votes, while Soshanguve recorded a smaller increase of 49 votes, moving from 11 333 to 11 382.

Pretoria was the only campus to record a decline, with votes falling from 14 172 in 2025 to 11 058 in 2026 — a decrease of 3 114 votes, or 21.97%.

Acting Executive Director of Student Affairs and Extracurricular Development, Jonas Magedi, commended students for what he described as a high level of political maturity throughout the election process.

“We take this opportunity to thank our students for demonstrating a high level of political maturity. We have not witnessed or received any report of political violence since the start of the SRC elections,” said Magedi.

He also acknowledged the political engagement surrounding the elections, including manifesto presentations and the involvement of national political leaders who visited the university to support their members.

Magedi said the university appreciated the work done to deliver the elections and expressed hope that students would receive the election outcomes positively.

The 2026 figures show an overall increase in the absolute number of votes cast, with the dramatic rise at Polokwane Campus emerging as the biggest contributor to the growth.