South Africa election results 2026: ANC suffers historic defeat as DA and MK Party gain ground
South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) has recorded its worst-ever election result, winning just 30.76% of the vote in the 2026 local government elections as opposition parties gained ground across major cities.
Main points
- The ANC fell to a record-low 30.76% of the vote.
- The DA gained ground while Zuma's MK Party finished third.
- Most municipalities face coalition negotiations after the elections.
South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) has recorded its worst-ever election result, winning just 30.76% of the vote in the 2026 local government elections as opposition parties gained ground across major cities.
The ANC, which has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid in 1994, saw its support fall nearly 15 percentage points from 45.59% in the 2021 municipal elections, according to final results the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on November 8.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) finished second with 24.64%, up from 21.66% in 2021. Former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party came third with approximately 9.77%, marking a strong showing in its first municipal elections.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secured 6.22%, down from 10.31%, while ActionSA increased its share to 5.67% from 2.33%.
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The results reflect growing frustration with poor public services, including water shortages, electricity disruptions, deteriorating roads, and corruption allegations.
The ANC lost its position as the leading party in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, while the DA retained its majority in Cape Town. The MK Party emerged as the largest party in eThekwini, which includes Durban, with approximately 38% of the vote.
The outcome has left many municipalities without an outright majority, forcing parties into coalition negotiations to form local governments.
According to the IEC, 72 of South Africa's 213 municipalities produced outright majorities, while 127 councils were classified as hung. National voter turnout was approximately 52%, up from 45.9% in 2021.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula described the outcome as catastrophic and acknowledged that the party needed to rebuild public trust.
The results mark another setback for the ANC, which lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national elections after three decades of governing alone.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
