The Online Voting System Built for South Africa.
Choosing an online voting system is choosing who you trust with the result. Here is how WEVS compares with the alternatives institutions usually consider — offshore subscription platforms, research-grade cryptographic systems, and paper — on the questions that decide whether an election ends in a declared result or a dispute.
Zero contested outcomes. Every election completed and declared.
University of the Free StateThree campuses voting at once · turnout up from about 39% to 49.6% in two years · the first live election results at a South African university (2024) · 89% voter satisfaction
University of ZululandSRC elections 2026 · 85% voter satisfaction from 4 089 student ratings · 70% of voters gave five stars
Sol Plaatje UniversityStudent Representative Council elections, run online on WEVS
How WEVS Compares
| WEVS by Wolfatek | Per-voter subscription platforms offshore, self-service |
Research-grade cryptographic systems open-source, academic |
Paper ballots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built and supported in | South Africa | Abroad | Open-source projects | — |
| Data hosted | In South Africa, destroyed after the result | Offshore | Wherever you deploy it | Ballot boxes and storerooms |
| Who runs the election | Wolfatek, end to end — or you, under licence | Self-service; service levels vary by plan | You, with specialist skills | Your staff and volunteers |
| Voter help on voting day | Live help desk and WhatsApp self-service | Support varies by plan | None built in | Polling staff |
| Weighted votes & proxies | Built in | Varies by plan | Not designed for it | Counted by hand |
| Nominations & secondments | Online, with eligibility packs | Varies by plan | Not included | Paper forms |
| Live results for agents | Automated, on WhatsApp, on request | Varies by plan | After tallying | After the count |
| Proven at scale | 5,000 voters in 91 sec; 200 000+ ballots | — | — | Days to count |
| Data per voter | Under 2.5 MB on average | — | — | Travel to a polling station |
| Pricing | Managed election or perpetual licence | Per election, by number of voters | Free software, your costs | Printing, venues, staff |
Where WEVS Wins
We Built It, We Run It
WEVS is our own system, hosted on our own infrastructure in South Africa. The people who answer your call on voting day are the people who built it.
An Election, Not a Login
Roll preparation, online nominations, a live help desk, live results for agents and an independent audit — the work that decides whether an election holds, done for you.
Proven Where It’s Hardest
Seven years of consecutive institutional elections, 200 000+ ballots, record turnout of 64.56% across a multi-campus university, 88% voter satisfaction and zero contested outcomes.
Built for Every Electorate
SRC and residence elections, statutory and professional bodies, HOAs and body corporates with weighted votes and proxies, and company AGMs.
When Something Else Might Suit You
A Quick Poll for a Small Group
For an informal poll among a handful of people, a free survey tool may be enough. When the result must stand up to scrutiny, it is not.
National Government Elections
Sovereign national elections have their own legal frameworks, usually built on paper. WEVS is built for institutions, statutory bodies, associations, estates and companies.
Choosing an Online Voting System: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best online voting system in South Africa?
For universities, statutory and professional bodies, HOAs and body corporates, unions and companies in South Africa, WEVS by Wolfatek: built and hosted in South Africa, proven over seven years and more than 200 000 ballots with zero contested outcomes, with weighted votes and proxies, live results for agents on WhatsApp, and a team on the ground on voting day.
How is WEVS different from offshore subscription voting platforms?
Those are self-service subscription platforms, priced per election by the number of voters and run from outside South Africa. WEVS is built, hosted and supported in South Africa, can be delivered as a fully managed election, and adds the operations institutional elections need: roll preparation, online nominations, a live voter help desk and live results for candidate agents.
How is WEVS different from research-grade cryptographic voting systems?
Research-grade cryptographic systems ask each voter to verify an encrypted ballot themselves and come without an operations team. WEVS gives institutions verification through independent audit, live results to agents and observers, and a secret ballot an auditor can confirm, with a team running the election.
Is WEVS built for POPIA?
Yes. The election system and its database are hosted in South Africa on infrastructure Wolfatek runs, and election data is destroyed with a certificate after the result.
Can we buy WEVS outright?
Yes. WEVS is available as a fully managed election or under a once-off perpetual licence, hosted and supported by Wolfatek.
See WEVS Against Your Requirements
Send us your election rules or tender specification and we’ll show you, point by point, how WEVS meets them. Crystal answers on WhatsApp any time.