The ANC’s share of the vote has plunged from 45.59 per cent in 2021 to 30.76 per cent in South Africa’s 2026 municipal elections, sharply reducing its control over local councils….reports Africa Daily News Desk
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has suffered a significant setback in the 2026 municipal elections, with its share of the national vote falling to 30.76 per cent from 45.59 per cent in 2021, marking a further decline in support for the country’s former ruling dominant party. Although the ANC remains the largest party nationally, its control of municipal councils has weakened sharply, with the number of councils where it secured an outright majority falling from 161 in 2021 to just 53 in the latest elections. Reuters+2
The Democratic Alliance (DA) finished second with 24.64 per cent of the vote, while former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party emerged as the third-largest party with 9.76 per cent. The results point to an increasingly fragmented political landscape, with coalition negotiations expected to shape the administration of numerous municipalities. SAnews+1
According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the ANC secured 3,246 council seats and emerged as the leading party in 128 municipalities, although it obtained outright control in only 53.
The party’s latest performance represents a substantial decline from the 2021 municipal elections, when it secured 45.59 per cent of the national vote and outright majorities in 161 municipalities.
The DA also finished ahead of the ANC in several important metropolitan contests, strengthening its position as the country’s principal opposition party. It secured 24.64 per cent of the national vote and 1,695 council seats, winning outright control of 12 municipalities and emerging as the leading party in 32.
The MK Party, contesting its first municipal elections, secured 9.76 per cent of the vote and 785 council seats, establishing itself as a significant political force. Its emergence follows its strong performance in the 2024 national elections and marks another shift in South Africa’s political landscape.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) received 6.22 per cent of the vote, while ActionSA secured 5.67 per cent. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) received 4.69 per cent, according to the final results announced by the IEC. SAnews+1
One of the most significant developments has been the sharp increase in hung councils, where no political party secures more than half of the seats.
Of South Africa’s 213 municipal councils, 127 were declared hung in the 2026 elections, compared with 66 in 2021. The increase is expected to make coalition negotiations central to the formation of local governments across the country. SAnews+1
The ANC’s decline is also reflected in its reduced ability to govern municipalities independently. In 2021, it secured outright majorities in 161 councils, while the DA controlled 13 and the IFP secured 10. The latest results show a much more divided distribution of political power, with only 72 councils having a party with an outright majority. SAnews+1
Voter participation, meanwhile, increased compared with the previous municipal elections. The IEC recorded a turnout of 52 per cent in 2026, up from 45.9 per cent in 2021. Approximately 14.9 million people voted out of 29.2 million registered voters in the latest elections. SAnews+1
The 2026 elections also saw 521 political parties and 636 independent candidates contesting, with approximately 137,000 candidates competing for council positions across the country. SAnews
The results mark another major turning point for South African politics following the ANC’s loss of its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national elections, which led to the formation of a government of national unity involving the DA and other political parties.
With the ANC’s municipal support falling further and the number of hung councils increasing, the coming coalition negotiations are expected to play a decisive role in determining how local governments are administered over the next term. Reuters+1
