2026 LGE Leading Party by Metro: DA Takes Five Cities as Results Hit 100%

The latest figures from South Africa’s 2026 local government elections show the Democratic Alliance (DA) leading in five of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities, according to an election graphic published by SABC News on Sunday afternoon, 8 November 2026.

The figures, based on 100% of voting districts counted shortly after 17:30, provide an indication of how political parties are performing across the major metros.

The DA has recorded its strongest showing in the City of Cape Town, where it leads with 56.4% of the vote. In Nelson Mandela Bay, the party is in front with 44.2%, while it has secured 34.8% in Johannesburg.

The party is also leading in Tshwane with 34.4% and Ekurhuleni with 30.7%, giving it the highest number of leading positions among the eight metropolitan areas.

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) is ahead in two metros. The party leads in Buffalo City with 41.9%, while Mangaung remains a closely contested race.

In Mangaung, the ANC has 33.9%, narrowly ahead of the DA, which stands at 33.5%. The small difference between the two parties makes this one of the most competitive metro contests reflected in the figures.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is leading in eThekwini with 38.3% of the vote. The DA occupies second position with 25.4%, followed by the ANC with 16.4%.

This makes eThekwini the only metropolitan municipality among the eight where the MK Party is currently in the lead.

The SABC graphic also indicated that all voting districts had been counted in the eight metros:

– Nelson Mandela Bay: 268 of 268 districts.

The figures show the DA leading in five metropolitan areas, the ANC ahead in two and the MK Party taking the lead in eThekwini.

Attention will now turn to the possibility of coalition negotiations, particularly in metros where no political party has secured an outright majority.

Although all voting districts have been counted in the metros listed, the figures reflect the leading parties and their vote shares rather than automatically determining who will govern each municipality. Coalition agreements and council arrangements could therefore play an important role in deciding the next municipal administrations.

https://x.com/SABCNews/status/2119479264189784496?a=XPacttf3Uc5fJ3nsHPI&s=19

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