JOHANNESBURG -- South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) retained its position as the country's largest political party in the 2026 local government elections despite a sharp decline in voter support.
The results released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Sunday showed that the ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, received 30.76 percent of the votes counted nationwide, down more than 14 percentage points from the previous local elections in 2021.
The ANC's main rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA), secured 24.64 percent. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, won 9.76 percent in its first contest in local government elections.
Data from the IEC showed the voter turnout for this election was 52 percent, higher than the 45.9 percent recorded in the 2021 local elections.
The election marks another significant setback for the ANC, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. In the 2021 local government elections, the party received approximately 45.59 percent of the vote, falling below 50 percent for the first time in a nationwide local election. Its support declined further in the 2024 national elections, when it secured 40.18 percent of the vote and lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the country's transition to democracy.
The results also point to a changing balance of political forces across the country. The ANC maintained its lead in several of its traditional strongholds, while the DA made significant gains in major urban centers, particularly in Gauteng. The MK Party emerged as a major political force in KwaZulu-Natal, where it drew substantial support.
In the closely watched contests across South Africa's eight metropolitan municipalities, the ANC was leading in Buffalo City and Mangaung, while the DA emerged as the largest party in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay. The MK Party led in eThekwini, which includes the coastal city of Durban.
The DA secured more than half of the votes in Cape Town, putting it in a strong position to retain its outright control of the city. In most of the other metropolitan municipalities, however, no single party appeared likely to win an outright majority, making coalition negotiations necessary.
Speaking at the announcement ceremony in Midrand on Sunday afternoon, Ramaphosa said the elections had demonstrated the strength of South Africa's democracy. He congratulated the newly elected councillors and urged parties in municipalities without an outright majority to put community interests first and negotiate in good faith.
"Councils must be constituted without delay," he said, stressing that political disagreements must not disrupt service delivery.
One of the most significant implications of the elections is the further consolidation of multiparty politics and coalition governance at the local level. Political parties are expected to engage in negotiations over governing arrangements, executive positions and policy priorities in municipalities where no party has secured a majority.
The outcome is also likely to shape the political landscape ahead of the 2029 national elections. The DA is expected to seek to build on its gains in urban areas, while the MK Party may continue to attract voters who have traditionally supported the ANC. Other parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA, will also seek to strengthen their positions in an increasingly competitive political environment.
