South Africa’s ruling party suffered a historic setback as the African National Congress fell to 30.76% of the national vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa officially declared the municipal polls free and fair after participation reached 52%, marking an increase of 6.1 percentage points from the previous local election cycle. With all 213 municipal councils finalized, the results showed that South Africa's political parties have realigned, leaving nearly 100 hung councils where no single party holds an outright majority.
ANC Vote Share Drops as New Parties Reshape Ballot
Five years ago, the ANC secured nearly half of the local government vote. In the November 4 polls, that share dropped by 14.83 percentage points down to 30.76%, resulting in 3,246 council seats, according to IEC data.
Today the ANC National Working Committee met at the ANC Headquarters Luthuli House to deliberate on the Local Government Elections and chart a way forward. The task at hand is to have councils which best serve primarily the interests of our people. #ANCatWORK pic.twitter.com/Z3HmngDC8U
The Democratic Alliance maintained its position as the second-largest party, capturing 24.64% of the vote. Meanwhile, new and resurgent political formations reshaped the ballot. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party arrived with 9.77% of the national vote, while ActionSA increased its support to 5.67%. The Economic Freedom Fighters garnered 6.22% of the vote, and the South African Communist Party, contesting independently, took 2.6%.
Analysis of ward-level shifts indicates that voters were actively switching allegiance rather than staying home. Turnout rose in 170 of the 172 wards that changed hands, with the ANC losing 161 of them. While past cycles saw the DA capture the vast majority of ANC losses, the MK Party and ActionSA won in terms of ANC turnout, suggesting ANC voters were switching parties rather than just staying home.
The ANC acknowledges and accepts the outcome of the 2026 Local Government Elections. We recognise that the electorate has exercised its democratic right to determine the future of local government. The results provide an opportunity for (1) honest reflection (2) renewal (3)… pic.twitter.com/BRiKCe7CNn
Coalition Realities Across Metros
With nearly 100 hung councils nationwide, political leadership faces intense pressure to forge power-sharing agreements ahead of the legal deadline of November 22. Negotiating teams are working to establish stable governance in key metropolitan areas where the ANC no longer holds an outright majority in a single metro.
We are now in a coalition country,
Gumede
Political parties are weighing various alliance configurations in Gauteng’s major economic hubs, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni. Discussions involve potential cooperation between national governing coalition partners or alternative arrangements among opposition groups. Experts have stressed that municipal negotiations must prioritize administrative stability and uninterrupted service delivery over partisan disputes.
Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized that elected officials must find common ground.
Earlier coverage: 2026 South Africa Local Election Results: ANC Leads with 31.84% of Votes
During the announcement of the 2026 Local Government Election results, President Cyril Ramaphosa reminded newly elected representatives of the responsibility entrusted to them by voters. Their focus must now be on serving communities with integrity, working together and… pic.twitter.com/fYEZF8MItw
