They will have 48 parties to choose from in national and provincial elections, voting in more than 22,000 polling stations across the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is promising voters that he will crack down on corruption in the ruling African National Congress (ANC), following years of graft scandals associated with his predecessor Jacob Zuma's time in office.
But the party of Nelson Mandela faces widespread apathy among voters born after apartheid, known as the "born-free" generation. It's also facing the challenge of an insurgent radical party from the left, led by the charismatic former ANC member Julius Malema.
"I think the ANC is going to be the biggest loser in this election, because the ANC is not going to enjoy the majority as it has been enjoying before," said Xolani Dube, a political analyst from the Xubera Institute of Research and Development.
