South Africans who are eligible to vote have just a few hours left to register or update their information before the voter's roll closes. Voter registration for the 2024 General Elections will close at midnight, which is the day of proclamation of the General Election 2024. The President and the Provincial Premiers will proclaim Election Day, 29 May 2024, during the course of today. 'The 2024 general elections are historic in that they mark the 30th year of electoral democracy. We do not wish for any eligible citizen to miss out on this historic democratic process," said Electoral Commission Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo. The online voter registration portal, registertovote.elections.org.za, is functional and has proven to be the most effective method, allowing everyone to update their details from the comfort of their own homes, work places and communities. Citizens have until midnight to use the platform for voter registration and update their particulars. Citizens out of country can also use t he same voter registration platform until midnight. Citizens may also visit IEC offices in the all municipalities to register to vote. The offices will remain operational until 16:00. Voters can also reach out to the Chat-bot on the 0600 88 00 00 WhatsApp line or call 0800118000. Mamabolo assured South Africans that the Electoral Commission staff members are hand to assist voters at IEC offices in various municipalities during these last few hours. The Electoral Commission reminded eligible voters of the general rule in elections. A person must register where they live, and vote at the voting station where they are registered. The only exception to the rule is that a voter may vote outside of the voting district of registration after notifying the Electoral Commission by a date set in the Election Timetable. Source: South African Government News Agency Minister of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly Amal Belhaj Moussa on Friday announced, at the signing of amendments to two partnership agreements on the national Raidet programme between the Ministry, the Tunisian Solidarity Bank (BTS) and the Banque Nationale Agricole (BNA), an increase in the value of self-financing provided by the ministry and the ceiling on funding allocated by the BTS. She pointed out that the State had launched the Raidet programme to support women's participation in the economy and encourage female entrepreneurship, indicating that, in accordance with these two amendments, new incentives had been approved for women applying for financing, notably with regard to the financing of projects related to sustainable agriculture, renewables and new technologies. The amendments were signed by the minister, BTS Managing Director Khalifa Seboui and BNA Managing Director Ahmed Ben Moulaham. Belhaj Moussa announced an increase in the amount of credit (interest-free) granted by the ministry as self-financing for women entrepreneurs (from 20% to 30% of the cost of the project) from the resources of the financing line. The BTS and the BNA provide the remainder of the financing, estimated at 70% of the cost of the project, in the form of a medium or long-term loan. She pointed out that the amendment to the agreement between the ministry and the BTS provides for a rise in the financing ceiling from TND 150,000 to TND 200,000, in addition to an agreement on financing for women's agricultural development groupings. She pointed out that since December 2022, 3,679 projects for women have been financed under the Raidet programme, with investments of over TND 35.5 million, which have contributed to the creation of 5,605 direct jobs. The minister underlined that 55% of the women who have launched projects are higher education graduates and that 78% of the beneficiaries of the Raidet programme are aged between 18 and 45. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse