Some 25 million South Africans took to the polls on Wednesday to participate in the country's general election.
South Africa's election marks the fifth democratic vote since the end of apartheid, 20 years ago. The country's first general election, post-apartheid, took place in 1994.
There was widespread attention on Wednesday's vote largely because it marked the first time the "born free" generation could participate in a general election. "Born free" voters are citizens born after 1994 and the end of apartheid.
Still, only one-third of young adults, aged 18 to 20, were registered to vote.
"We're generally seeing a youth that is still quite disillusioned by the current political landscape in South Africa," Lauren Tracey, a researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, told Al Jazeera. "They don't feel as if their vote is going to make a difference."
The youth that did participate, such as Shandu Thabisile, were excited and nervous, showing up to the polls at 6 a.m. "I came [to Inanda] to vote because this is where Mandela voted all those years ago," Thabisile told Al Jazeera.
Across 22,000 polling stations, South Africans voted for 29 parties on the ballot. With a reported 65% of the vote, the African National Congress is favored to win, despite allegations of political scandal and criticism over a "sluggish" economy, according to Reuters.
Check out the photos, below, of South Africa's momentous election:
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