Democracy in South Africa

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Democracy Ratings

Freedom House 2018

Score:

2 out of 7

(where lower scores are more democratic)

Freedom Status:

Free

EIU Democracy Index 2017

Score:

7.24 out of 10

(where higher scores are more democratic)

World Ranking:

41

Polity IV 2016

Score:

9

(from -10 to 10, where higher scores are more democratic)

Category:

Democracy

Political System

System of Government Presidential, with executive president linked to parliament
Presidential Electoral System First past the post
Last Presidential Election 2014
Next Presidential Election 2019
Presidential Term Limits Two, five-year terms
System of Appointment to Legislature Lower Chamber: Party list proportional representation, with half from provincial lists and half from national listsUpper Chamber: indirectly elected through provincial legislatures, who each appoint 10 people
Last Legislative Election

2014

Next Legislative Election

2019

Number of Seats in Legislature Lower Chamber: 400Upper Chamber: 90
Female quota, representation in lower house No

Results

Last legislative election (2014)    
Party Votes (%) Seats
African National Congress 62.15 249
Democratic Alliance 22.23 89
Economic Freedom Fighters 6 25
Inkatha Freedom Party 2 10
National Freedom Party 2 6
United Democratic Movement 1 4
Freedom Front Plus 1 4
Congress of the People 1 3
African Christian Democratic Party 1 3
African Independent Congress 1 3
Agang SA 0 2
Pan Africanist Congress 0 1
African People’s Convention 0.17 1
Al Jama-ah 0.14 0
Minority Front 0 0
United Christian Democratic Party 0 0
Azanian People’s Organisation 0 0
Bushbuckridge Residents Association 0 0
Independent Civic Organisation 0 0
Patriotic Alliance 0 0
Workers and Socialist Party 0 0
Ubuntu Party 0.04 0
Kingdom Governance Movement 0.03 0
Front National 0 0
Keep It Straight and Simple Party 0 0
Pan Africanist Movement 0.02 0
First Nation Liberation Alliance 0 0
United Congress 0 0

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