Updated 8 November 2026, with the final IEC results.
The African National Congress (ANC) has suffered a historic setback in South Africa’s municipal elections. With 99% of votes counted, the ANC is on about 30.8%, well down from 45.6% in 2021, a fall of roughly 15 percentage points. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is on about 24.6%, and Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party is third with about 9.8%. Turnout was around 52%, according to the IEC, as Inside Politics reported.
ANC won about 3,236 council seats, controls 53 of 213 councils outright, and holds no outright majority in any metro.
The ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, called the result “catastrophic” but said the party would not beg for positions in coalition talks. The slide follows years of anger over failing water and electricity services, which Afrikeye examined in its pre-election analysis of the ANC’s service crisis. It also comes after presidential accountability clashes and the US decision to remove South Africa from AGOA trade access.
No Majority in More Than 130 Municipalities
The vote has left more than 130 municipalities without an outright winner. In Johannesburg, the DA leads with about 35% against about 20% for the ANC, which could give DA veteran Helen Zille a strong chance of becoming mayor, depending on coalition agreements. Because no party passed 50% in many cities, the ANC and DA must either work together or negotiate with smaller parties to form coalition governments.
The ANC had already fallen below 50% in a local election for the first time in 2021, as AP reported. This result confirms that the decline has continued across the country’s eight metros, 44 district councils and 205 local councils.
What Comes Next
The Electoral Commission has said it will announce official results once it has settled outstanding objections and recounts. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya has said all results stay provisional until those objections are determined. Councils must hold their first meeting within 14 days of the declaration, to elect mayors and speakers. Those deals will decide who runs South Africa’s biggest cities and set the political tone for the 2029 national election. Follow our African elections coverage for updates.
