By Correspondent
South Africa voted on 4 November 2026 for 257 municipal councils, and the results show a country that no longer trusts one party to run its cities.
Turnout rose to about 54.5%, up from 45.9% in 2021, as voters punished poor service delivery.
The ANC fell to around 32% nationally, its worst result since 1994, down from 45.6% in 2021.
The DA rose to about 25%, and the MK Party took third place with about 9% in its first local election.
No outright winner in the big cities
The DA led in six of the eight metros, including Johannesburg with about 40% and Cape Town with an outright majority.
The MK Party led eThekwini / Durban with about 43%, while the ANC collapsed there to below 20%.
Most metros are now hung councils, meaning mayors will only be chosen through coalition talks.
The IEC is expected to announce final results on Sunday 9 November.
The election may be over, but the real contest for power has just begun.
——————————————————————————————————-
Love what we do?
We’re dedicated to opening up democracy, one article, video and story at a time. If you find our reporting helpful, you can support the Magamba Network team by buying us a coffee. It’s quick, easy, and makes a real difference!
———————————————————————————————————
