The rise of generative artificial intelligence has brought a new, unsettling dimension to the South African political landscape. Last year, the public was shocked by viral footage of one of Soweto’s most historic institutions, Orlando West High School, seemingly engulfed in flames. It was a visceral, distressing sight that felt entirely real, yet it was a fabrication—a product of AI designed to stir panic. This incident, alongside malicious social media campaigns falsely claiming that non-citizens are contesting South African elections, highlights how easily technology can be weaponized to distort reality. As we approach the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections, we must confront the reality that these digital deceptions are not mere anomalies; they are a preview of a deliberate, AI-driven campaign to manipulate the hearts and minds of the electorate.
South Africa is far from alone in facing this challenge. A recent report by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) examined 215 documented cases of AI interference during elections across 50 countries in 2024. The findings confirm a global trend: bad actors are utilizing increasingly sophisticated tools—ranging from deepfake audio and video to massive, automated bot networks—to scale up their efforts at deception. These technologies are being used to churn out misleading narratives at a pace that traditional fact-checking can struggle to match. By studying these global patterns, we can better prepare for the tactics that will inevitably be deployed on our own soil, recognizing that the threat is not just a technological curiosity, but a genuine danger to the integrity of our democratic process.
To safeguard our elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has significantly ramped up its defense mechanisms. We have established a specialized Digital Content and Engagement team, complete with expert disinformation analysts tasked with monitoring, identifying, and debunking false information in real-time. This team works tirelessly to produce verified, accurate content that acts as an antidote to the viral poison of misinformation. Furthermore, we are actively engaging with major social media platforms to ensure that harmful, election-related fabrications are flagged or removed. Our objective is to ensure that when citizens interact with election information online, they are met with the truth, thereby protecting the public’s confidence in the final results of the ballot.
Beyond monitoring, we are pushing for higher standards of conduct. The Electoral Commission has proposed an updated Electoral Code of Conduct specifically aimed at curbing the misuse of technology during elections. This proposed framework would hold political parties and candidates accountable for the digital content they disseminate, requiring them to actively prevent the spread of disinformation and to cooperate fully in maintaining a truthful campaign environment. This builds upon our existing Code of Conduct, which has long required parties to respect democratic norms. In this new era, we are urging all political stakeholders to go further by making explicit, ethical commitments to the transparent and honest use of AI, ensuring that technology serves the voter rather than misleading them.
The media and the public are the final, and perhaps most vital, lines of defense in this battle for truth. We are continuing to partner with organizations like the South African National Editors’ Forum to equip journalists with the skills needed to navigate this new information environment. However, the responsibility ultimately rests with each of us. Voters must become critical consumers of information: be wary of content that relies on high-octane emotional manipulation, check for specific dates rather than vague timelines, and verify “breaking news” against reputable, established news outlets. If a sensational claim is not being reported by multiple trusted sources, it is highly probable that it is a fabrication designed to trick you.
As we move toward the 2026 elections, the message to every South African is one of both vigilance and empowerment. The goal of those who use AI for disinformation is to provoke fear, suppress voter turnout, and sow doubt in the fairness of our democracy. We must not let them succeed. Whether you are a political candidate with a responsibility to communicate ethically, or a voter who has the power to stop a lie by choosing not to share it, your actions matter. By staying informed, verifying our sources, and refusing to be pawns in a digital game of manipulation, we can ensure that our hard-won right to choose our leaders remains in the hands of the people, where it belongs.