South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) won 30.76% of the vote in the November 4, 2026, local elections, its worst result yet, and remained the country’s largest party while facing talks to form coalitions in many municipalities.
The Electoral Commission announced the final figures on November 8. They put the ANC nearly 15 percentage points below its 45.59% share in the 2021 local elections. The Democratic Alliance came second with 24.64%.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party took 9.76%. In the eight metropolitan areas, the DA led in five, the ANC in Buffalo City and Mangaung, and MK in eThekwini. The ANC won no full majority in any metropolitan area.
Across the country, only 74 of 213 municipal councils had a party with a full majority. This made agreements with rival or smaller parties central to forming local governments. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula called the result “catastrophic.”
Party leaders faced pressure to respond to voters’ rejection. Analysts and election coverage have linked the decline to anger over corruption, unemployment and failures in basic services, including water and electricity. The result further weakened the ANC’s control of local government.
It set up difficult negotiations over who would govern many towns and cities.