You can get free stuff if you vote, Joburg high school teacher advises reluctant teen voters

Coffee, a doughnut, a pint of beer — these are some of the incentives businesses are offering for free as an enticement to South Africans to vote. 

Northcliff High School history teacher Simone Allen, who is passionate about educating young people about the importance of voting, doesn’t lose out on an opportunity to encourage them — and has taken this passion to social media.

Allen, who posts on Instagram as sim_sallen_bim, on Tuesday posted to her 600 followers: “I am loving the businesses rewarding people who vote. While it is something we should do without incentive, I think it’s awesome.” 

She followed the comment with adverts from small outfits and big businesses.

“I believe passionately about informing people of their responsibility to vote. It’s a civic right but people often forget it’s a responsibility too, and that it is something we should be doing for ourselves and our fellow citizens.” 

Allen said as a high school history teacher she is mindful of teaching about voting movements in history and how it was not always a privilege accessible to everyone. 

Her classroom windows are covered with the manifestos of the top 12 parties running in the elections. It’s something she hopes will not only inform the children she teaches, but will get them talking and debating the issue. 

Among the free offerings Allen found and promoted are:

• a free upsize on coffee from Motherland;
• a treat from ohmycake_sa; a
• glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme;
• a coffee from Spur and Wimpy;
• a confection from humblecoffee.za in Durban;
• a hot beverage on the house from City Rock in Joburg; and
• a complimentary draft beer for every vote from Hudson's Burgers.

“I am not so inspired by the big businesses out there,” Allen said.

“What they are doing is great. But it’s the little restaurants and cafes that are putting their hands in their pockets to encourage people to vote that are really awesome.”

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