With South Africa preparing for the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections, voters are likely to encounter a growing volume of election-related information on social media, messaging platforms and other digital channels.
But not everything shared online is necessarily true.
Disinformation generally refers to false or misleading information that is deliberately created or spread to deceive people. This differs from misinformation, where incorrect information may be shared by someone who genuinely believes it to be accurate.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has introduced a new Disinformation Code, which came into effect on 4 September. It applies to political parties, candidates and people acting on their behalf and covers election-related communication both online and offline.
Under the Code, parties and candidates are expected to check information before sharing it and publicly correct false or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it. AI-generated content must also be clearly identified, while political advertising must make it clear who is responsible for it.
The Code does not prohibit legitimate political criticism, opinion, commentary, fair reporting, satire, parody or democratic debate.
For voters, a useful rule is to pause before sharing. Check who published the information, whether it is supported by a reliable source, whether photographs or videos may have been altered or taken out of context, and whether reputable sources are reporting the same information.
Suspected election-related disinformation can be reported through the Real411 platform designated by the IEC.
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