With the local government elections just two months away, IOL has announced it will soon launch a special elections content portal bringing together traditional journalism, live video, social media, data and community reporting, reflecting IOL’s continued investment in digital journalism and audience engagement. IOL will also host a series of TikTok Town Hall Debates and live-streamed in-person Mayoral Candidate Debates.
Image: IOL Graphics
IOL is launching a dedicated Local Government Elections portal as part of their digital-first election offering designed to bring South African voters closer to the candidates, issues and decisions that will directly affect their daily lives.
With local government being the sphere of government that most directly impacts communities – from service delivery and infrastructure to housing, transport, safety, water and electricity – IOL’s election coverage will place the lived experiences and voices of residents at the centre of the national conversation.
A key innovation will be a series of live *IOL TikTok Town Hall Debates *hosted by senior IOL editors, bringing ward candidates and the communities they seek to represent together on one of South Africa’s most influential digital platforms.
The live TikTok Town Hall Debates will give voters an opportunity to hear directly from candidates while putting the issues that matter most to individual communities front and centre. Candidates will be challenged to articulate what they intend to do about the specific problems facing their wards and, importantly, how they intend to deliver on those commitments.
IOL will also host a series of live-streamed townhall debates featuring mayoral candidates in South Africa’s biggest metropolitan municipalities. These debates will provide voters with an opportunity to interrogate competing visions for their cities and hold political leaders accountable on the issues that matter most to residents.
IOL CEO Viasen Soobramoney said the election offering represents a fundamental shift in how local government elections can be covered in the digital age.
“Local government elections are ultimately about people and the communities in which they live. We want to move beyond simply reporting political events and put residents at the heart of the election conversation,” said Soobramoney.
“Our TikTok Townhalls are an example of how we are using technology and platforms where audiences are already engaging to create direct conversations between candidates and the people they want to represent. We want candidates to hear directly from their electorate – and we want voters to hear exactly what candidates intend to do about the challenges they face,” he said.
The IOL election portal will combine breaking election news, candidate and party coverage, community-focused reporting, analysis, explainers and live election data in a single destination.
A dedicated live election results tracker will allow users to follow results as they are announced, including developments at municipal and ward level. The platform will provide voters with an accessible and continually updated view of the electoral picture as results come in.
The portal will also place a strong emphasis on real stories from communities across South Africa.
IOL journalists will focus on the lived experiences of residents, documenting the challenges facing communities and asking candidates and political parties how they intend to address them.
From potholes and unreliable public transport to water shortages, electricity, housing, crime, waste removal and municipal accountability, the coverage will focus on the issues that affect residents in their everyday lives.
“Our approach is not simply to ask politicians what they think,” said Soobramoney. “We want to ask communities what they are experiencing, what they need from their local government and whether the candidates seeking their votes have credible solutions.”
The IOL Local Government Elections portal will bring together traditional journalism, live video, social media, data and community reporting, reflecting IOL’s continued investment in digital journalism and audience engagement.
The TikTok Town Halls and Mayoral Debates will be promoted across IOL’s digital and social platforms, with selected discussions and highlights made available for audiences who cannot participate in the live events.
The initiative forms part of IOL’s broader commitment to journalism that is accessible, innovative and rooted in the communities it serves.
As South Africans prepare to elect the representatives responsible for governing their municipalities and wards, IOL aims to ensure that the voices of ordinary residents are not lost amid the political campaigning.
IOL
