Abstract
The right to vote is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It equips citizens with the power to vote political leaders and their parties in to power and hold them accountable for their actions or inaction. However, children in South Africa are denied this right, which is a limitation of their right to equality enshrined in the Constitution. The right to equality dictates that individuals should be treated equally, regardless of the colour of their skin, gender, sex or age. Over the years, scholars have presented various arguments on the subject. However, only a few have adequately addressed the issue of whether children possess the same mental capacity as adults to understand the requirements of voting. South African courts have not had the opportunity to rule on this matter. However, several countries outside Africa have successfully introduced a new voting age. This study endeavours to examine these countries and analyse whether such an approach could potentially be adopted in South Africa. Furthermore, the study seeks to investigate whether the rationales behind the exclusion of children from voting in South Africa are justified.