Elections are not just about ballot papers and counting machines; they are ultimately about what people believe before they vote. A lie that spreads online can be as damaging as a burnt ballot box, and South Africa’s Electoral Commission (IEC) knows this better than most. That is why, in the run-up to the local government elections on 4 November, the IEC has joined forces with some of the biggest digital companies in the world—Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok—and the non-profit organisation Moxii Africa, in a shared commitment to protect the integrity of information. The idea is simple but profound: voters deserve to make their choices based on facts, not falsehoods. This partnership is not starting from scratch. It builds on the same framework of cooperation that was used during the 2024 national and provincial elections, which proved that the fight against disinformation is ongoing and never truly finished. Kate Bapela, the IEC’s chief communication officer, described the arrangement as an “indispensable lever” strengthening the Commission’s broader efforts to keep election information clean and trustworthy. Behind the official language lies a very human concern: if citizens are overwhelmed by malicious rumours, deep fakes and distorted news, even a technically perfect election can lose the confidence of the people it is meant to serve. The kind of democracy South Africa is trying to build cannot survive in an atmosphere of constant suspicion and manufactured confusion. So this partnership is not just a technical agreement. It is an attempt to protect something deeply human—the ability of ordinary people to discuss, deliberate and decide together without being manipulated.
To give this commitment real weight, the IEC has published a dedicated Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation in the Local Government Elections, officially gazetted on 4 September. This is more than a set of friendly guidelines; it carries the same legal authority and the same potential consequences as the broader Electoral Code of Conduct that already governs political parties, candidates and their representatives. In other words, spreading false information is not just bad manners—it can be a violation of the rules that hold the entire democratic process together. The code is carefully designed to respect existing legislation and ensure that no one’s private data is shared improperly, while still making it clear that the platforms have a responsibility to act. It supports open, good-faith cooperation during the election period, creates a joint working group, encourages public awareness campaigns and even includes training for political parties on how to identify and resist disinformation. The platforms are allowed to enforce their own internal rules, which can include removing harmful content, adding advisory labels to suspicious posts, suspending accounts that repeatedly spread lies, and directing users to reliable information. There is also room for independent oversight and clear reporting channels, so that the process is transparent and accountable. The entire approach is aligned with the Constitution, municipal electoral laws, and the Disinformation Code, which means the IEC is not asking anyone to break the law or suppress legitimate speech. It simply wants the truth to have a fighting chance. At its core, the code recognises that free expression and election integrity are not enemies. The goal is not to silence dissent or punish criticism, but to make sure that lies do not drown out the voices of real people and genuine political debate.
One of the most important aspects of this partnership is the direct access it gives the IEC to digital platforms. Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo put it plainly: this relationship is critical because it allows voters to access credible, accurate and trustworthy information when they need it most. He warned that a technically flawless election can still lose public trust if citizens are overwhelmed by disinformation. That is a striking admission from someone responsible for running the machinery of democracy. It shows that counting votes accurately is only half the job; the other half is making sure people are not being manipulated while they are deciding how to cast those votes. Because the IEC now has direct lines to Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok, it can take immediate action against false narratives. If a dangerous lie starts spreading, the Commission can flag it, ask the platform to act, and get the correct information in front of as many people as possible. This is not about surveillance or censorship; it is about having a fast, reliable mechanism for correcting the record. The agreement explicitly excludes the sharing of confidential user data, which is important for anyone worried about privacy. What it does allow is a cooperative relationship where platforms can apply their own terms of service while also supporting the democratic process. That means content removals, advisory labels, account suspensions and public corrections are all part of the toolkit. The platforms can also use their own algorithms to reduce the visibility of harmful misinformation and to promote authoritative election information instead. This kind of cooperation is essential because digital platforms have become the new public square. That is where people talk, argue, laugh and learn. If the square is poisoned by lies, the entire community suffers.
For ordinary South Africans, there is a practical place to turn when they encounter something suspicious. The IEC has designated the Real411 platform to receive and process public complaints about misleading election content. Members of the public can submit reports in all eleven official languages, either through the website real411.org.za or through the Real411 mobile app. This is a genuinely humanising detail: no matter what language you speak, no matter where you live, you have a voice in protecting the election space. Once a report is submitted, Real411 independently evaluates it before passing the case on to the IEC and the partner platforms. This independent evaluation is essential because it prevents false complaints from being used to silence legitimate opinion. When a report is found to be serious, the IEC can take several steps. It can refer severe violations to the Electoral Court for legal sanctions, which means the full weight of the law can come down on those who deliberately try to deceive voters. It can escalate complaints directly to online platforms for swift content moderation, allowing problematic posts to be dealt with quickly before they cause widespread harm. And it can issue public statements to debunk false narratives, giving citizens the reassurance that someone is watching the information environment and correcting the record. The whole system is designed to be transparent, responsive and fair. Voters who want to educate themselves about how to spot false information can visit the IEC’s website at www.elections.org.za/pw/Elections-And-Results/Report-Election-Disinformation, where there are practical resources and guidance. This is not just a tool for reporting; it is also a way of empowering ordinary people to become more confident and critical readers of the content they see every day. It acknowledges that the best defence against disinformation is a citizenry that knows how to ask hard questions, verify sources and think before sharing.
The technology companies involved have also made their own commitments, and their statements reveal a genuine understanding of the stakes. Microsoft South Africa’s government affairs director, Abongile Vanda, said that free, fair and credible elections depend on people being able to trust the information they see. He pointed out that no single organisation can tackle disinformation alone, which is why Microsoft is pleased to join the IEC in this partnership. In the period leading up to the 2026 Local Government Elections, Microsoft will work with the Commission, civil society and industry to help voters find authoritative information, strengthen media and AI literacy, and counter deceptive AI-generated content. That last point is particularly important in an age where deep fakes and manipulated images can be created by almost anyone. TikTok Southern Africa government relations lead Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela also expressed a strong commitment to protecting the community during elections. She explained that TikTok recognises the important role its platform plays in helping people discover information and engage in public conversations. Through an in-app Election Centre, South Africans will be able to access reliable information about the elections, and election-related labels and search banners will direct users to that centre with a single tap. Behind the scenes, the platform is supported by advanced moderation and collaboration with fact-checking partners and electoral commissions like the IEC, all intended to create a safe, informed and authentic election experience. Moxii Africa director William Bird added another layer of depth to the conversation, saying that information integrity is fundamental to the credibility of any democratic process. In an increasingly complex digital environment, he noted, protecting voters from misinformation and disinformation requires coordinated action across institutions, technology platforms, civil society and citizens themselves. His words are a reminder that this is not a task for the IEC alone, or for the companies alone, or for voters alone. It is a shared responsibility.
Ultimately, this partnership is about more than algorithms, codes and legal sanctions. It is about the kind of society South Africans want to live in. Elections are moments of collective decision, when communities come together to choose their leaders and shape their future. If those decisions are made on the basis of deception, the future will be built on sand. That is why the IEC’s cooperation with Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and Moxii Africa matters. It is a practical mechanism, but it is also a moral statement: truth still matters, trust can be rebuilt, and democracy can be defended. The agreement recognises that ordinary people are not passive victims of misinformation. They are active participants with the power to notice, report and refuse to share damaging lies. Through Real411, through public awareness campaigns, through training and education, through the willingness of powerful platforms to take responsibility, the entire system is being strengthened. No one is pretending that disinformation will disappear overnight. The digital world is messy, fast-moving and often confusing. But this partnership is a serious, honest attempt to deal with that reality rather than ignore it. It gives voters a way to check what they see, to ask questions, to seek the truth and to report what seems false. It gives the IEC tools to respond quickly and effectively to emerging threats. It gives the platforms a clear role in supporting the democratic process rather than simply hosting whatever content generates the most engagement. In the end, the real heroes of this story are ordinary voters. Their trust is what makes elections legitimate. Their confidence is what makes democracy strong. And their willingness to engage, question and participate is what will determine whether the local government elections on 4 November are truly free, fair and credible. The IEC and its partners have built the infrastructure of protection. Now it is up to all South Africans to use it, look out for one another, and remember that in the fight for democratic integrity, every single person matters.