Johannesburg – Almost nine in 10 young South Africans plan to vote in the 2014 general elections, according to a survey released on Thursday.

About 87% of 2 575 people questioned said they were already registered to vote and would vote next year.

This was in contrast to the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) announcement on Wednesday that less than half of eligible voters under the age of 30 were currently registered to vote.

The survey, conducted by Pondering Panda, found that 13% of those who said they were already registered to vote indicated they would not do so.

In terms of race, young white South Africans were found to be the most likely to vote, with 92% saying they would do so.

Eighty-seven percent of young blacks and 88% of young coloureds intended to vote.

The IEC said its voter awareness programme was focused mainly on young people using social media networks.