STORY: South Africans will vote in a national election on May 29.

And after 30 years in power, polls suggest that the African National Congress will lose its majority.

For the first time since the end of apartheid, a coalition government is looking like a possibility.

So, what are the key issues that matter to South African voters?

:: Jobs

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

And young people account for more than half of the country's unemployed, with a rate of over 40%.

The problem is worse now than it was at the end of apartheid.

In 2023, the joblessness rate stood at 32.4%, nearly 10 points higher than in 1994.

:: The economy

The root cause of the joblessness crisis is sluggish growth, with the economy barely growing in more than a decade.

Economic growth has averaged 0.8% since 2012.

The debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to reach 74.1% in the current fiscal year, up from 63.3% five years ago.

:: Power cuts

Scheduled power cuts imposed by state utility Eskom are the bane of households as well as companies.

Eskom has been struggling to keep its aging fleet of coal-fired power plants operational.

It became dysfunctional in part due to a flourishing of corruption during the administration of former president Jacob Zuma.

Now, the government is working to add generating capacity, largely through deals with private companies operating solar and wind projects.

:: Corruption

Many South Africans believe that the greed of people in office is contributing to poor service delivery for everyone else.

Known as "state capture", a 2018 inquiry found that high-level corruption had been systemic in government during Zuma's years in power. Zuma himself denies any wrongdoing.

Since taking over, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said tackling corruption was a priority.

But opposition critics say his administration has done too little to stop the rot.

:: Crime

South Africa has one of the world's highest rates of violent crime.

Poverty, unemployment and inequality have created fertile ground for crime to take root.

That's compounded by the proliferation of organized criminal groups and a flood of illegal weapons in recent years.

:: Immigration

Since the end of apartheid, South Africa has attracted large numbers of refugees and immigrants.

Over the years, anti-immigrant sentiment has risen.

In April, the government approved a policy report on toughening up the country's immigration laws.

It raised the possibility that South Africa could withdraw from United Nations conventions on refugees to deter quote "economic migrants disguising as asylum seekers".

A bill based on the report is expected to be introduced in parliament should the ANC remain in power.