While almost 10 million eligible voters in South Africa have not yet registered to vote in the upcoming national elections, some South Africans abroad have braved the cold to play their part.
Meet 21-year-old Katelin Hogue who visited the South African High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, to register, despite the -18°C weather.
“The weather was very cold; the roads were snowy, and the traffic was busy. But going through all of it was worth it to get registered,” she told News24.
Hogue has been living outside of South Africa for 15 years and still makes it a priority to vote.
“It is important to me that I vote because, even though I may not live in South Africa anymore, I still want the best for people who do live there.
“It is still home to me.”
Dr Maatje Scheepers, 35, and her husband Colin Joynt, 42, have been living outside of SA for six and a half years. They too do not want to miss the opportunity to vote.
“This is our first Canadian winter experience and, although it is beautiful, we are still learning what this cold truly means.
“We braved the cold because, no matter what the weather was doing, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to register to vote,” she explained.
Scheepers and her husband hope that their vote will help create a better future for all South Africans.
“To us, voting provides an opportunity for citizens to make their voices heard. It (voting) affords us the right as South African citizens to choose a government that would help South Africa grow and prosper as a nation,” she said.