ANC Tops South Africa’s 2026 Local Elections with 30.76% as DA, MK and Others Trail

The Independent Electoral Commission has released the final results for the 2026 Local Government Elections. The African National Congress remains the biggest party, but it no longer holds the strong position it once had.

The ANC received 30.76 percent of the national vote and won 3 246 council seats. The Democratic Alliance came second with 24.64 percent and 1 695 seats. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party finished third with 9.76 percent and 785 seats. The Economic Freedom Fighters got 6.22 percent and 588 seats, while ActionSA secured 5.67 percent and 313 seats.

These figures show a clear shift in South African politics. In past local elections the ANC often controlled most municipalities on its own. This time no single party dominates across the country. Many councils will need coalitions or agreements between different parties before they can elect mayors and start working properly.

The results were announced at the National Results Operation Centre in Midrand. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya confirmed that the elections were free and fair. About 14.9 million people voted out of 29.2 million registered voters. This gave a national turnout of 52 percent, which is higher than the 45.9 percent recorded in the 2021 local elections.

The ANC still leads in the most places. It has outright control of 53 municipalities and is the biggest party in another 128. The DA has outright control in 12 municipalities and leads in 32 others. The MK Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party also won control of a handful of councils. In total, more than 130 municipalities are hung, meaning no party has more than half the seats.

Voters across the country sent a mixed message. Some areas stayed loyal to the ANC. Others moved towards the DA, the MK Party or smaller parties such as ActionSA. The EFF kept a solid share of the vote but did not grow as much as some of its supporters hoped.

Political parties now have a short time to form governments in the hung councils. Negotiations have already started in several metros and smaller towns. The next few weeks will show whether the parties can work together or whether some municipalities will face delays and uncertainty.

The 2026 local election results mark another step in the slow decline of single-party dominance in South Africa. The ANC remains the largest party, yet it must now share power in many places. How the parties handle these new arrangements will affect service delivery and daily life in communities across the country for the next five years.

Source: https://x.com/MDNnewss/status/2119477132569022803?a=QKwOmIxR0RvJOlTUijs&s=19

Jackson feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com