ANC loses its outright majorities in South Africa's metros

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

South Africa's governing African National Congress won about 31% of the vote in this week's municipal elections, with 99% of ballots counted. That is the party's weakest local government result since 1994, down from 45.6% in 2021 and 64.9% in 2006.

No party won an outright majority in any of the country's eight metropolitan areas. That leaves 135 of 213 councils hung, against 66 after the last municipal vote, and hands the choice of mayors to negotiations that must finish within 14 days.

Why it matters

Every hung metro now depends on a deal: which parties pair up decides who runs Johannesburg's water, power and roads.

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Key Indicators

31%

ANC national vote share

With 99% of votes counted, per Reuters.

24.6%

Democratic Alliance national share

Main opposition party, second nationally.

9.72%

MK Party national share

Jacob Zuma's party, third nationally and strongest in KwaZulu-Natal.

45.6%

ANC share in 2021 municipal vote

The party's previous local election result.

135

Hung councils

Councils with no majority party, up from 66 in 2021 and 27 in 2016.

Councils the ANC controls outright

Out of 213 councils nationwide.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Cyril Ramaphosa

President of South Africa and president of the ANC

Facing internal questions about his future, according to ANC insiders quoted by IOL

Fikile Mbalula

Secretary-general of the African National Congress

Leading the party's public response to the result

Helen Zille

Democratic Alliance veteran

Possible mayoral candidate in Johannesburg depending on coalition deals

Jacob Zuma

Former president of South Africa, leader of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party)

His party placed third nationally and gained ground in KwaZulu-Natal

Dale McKinley

Political analyst

Commenting on the ANC's decline

Organizations Involved

African National Congress (ANC)

Political party

Largest party nationally but without an outright majority in any metro

South Africa's governing party since 1994, now facing its lowest municipal vote share since the end of apartheid.

Democratic Alliance (DA)

Political Party

Second nationally at about 24.6%; leading the Johannesburg count

The main opposition party, positioning itself as the coalition partner of choice for parties committed to clean government.

uMkhonto weSizwe Party

Political party

Third nationally; largest winner in KwaZulu-Natal

Jacob Zuma's party, contesting its first municipal elections as a national force.

Electoral Commission of South Africa

Election authority

Counting and declaring the 2026 municipal results

The body that runs South African elections and publishes the vote tally.

Timeline

6 events Latest: Today

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
With 99% counted, ANC falls to about 31%
Today Election result

The ANC's worst municipal showing since 1994; final results were due at 6 p.m.
Today
No outright majority in any of the eight metros
Today Election result

Johannesburg, Tshwane and eThekwini are among the councils now dependent on coalitions.
Today
DA leads Johannesburg count at about 35%
Today Election result

The ANC sits near 20% in the city, opening a mayoral path for DA veteran Helen Zille.
Today
Mbalula concedes service failures cost votes
Statement

The ANC's secretary-general said water, electricity and fuel-price complaints made door-to-door campaigning hard.
Yesterday
ANC says councils will be settled in talks
Statement

The party acknowledged no outright majorities and said coalition shape would follow the count.
Yesterday
ANC slides toward 32% as count passes 60%
Election count

Partial results put the ANC near 32% and the DA near 25%, pointing to a historic loss.
3 days ago

Scenarios

DA-led coalition elects Helen Zille mayor of Johannesburg

Possible Resolves by Nov 22, 2026

Discussed by: Reuters, citing the Johannesburg count and the DA's coalition statement

The DA leads Johannesburg with about 35% against 20% for the ANC. If it reaches terms with smaller parties inside the 14-day window, the new council can elect Zille, whose campaign focused on potholes and leaking pipes. The deal would put the country's commercial hub under a coalition that excludes the ANC.

ANC holds a metro through a deal with MK or smaller parties

Uncertain Resolves by Nov 22, 2026

Discussed by: IOL and Reuters reporting on hung councils and ANC coalition options

The ANC says it will consider coalitions, confidence-and-supply arrangements or opposition depending on the municipality. In eThekwini its share fell to 16.46% and in Gauteng province to 21.57%, so any ANC-led council would need partners. MK controls three KwaZulu-Natal municipalities outright and is short in 15 others, making it a decisive partner there.

Talks deadlock and councils run without majority agreements

Possible Resolves by Nov 30, 2026

Discussed by: Political analysts Dale McKinley and Ntsikelelo Breakfast, commenting on the fragmented map

135 councils have no majority party, up from 66 in 2021. If negotiations fail, councils can still convene and elect mayors through shifting votes, producing minority administrations that struggle to pass budgets. That outcome would extend the pattern of unstable local government seen since the 2016 vote, when 27 councils were hung.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

August 2016

Municipal elections (2016)

The ANC lost control of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay to opposition coalitions, the first time it had lost major cities since 1994. Nationally, 27 councils ended up with no majority party.

Then

Opposition coalitions took power in several metros, some of which collapsed within two years.

Now

Coalition politics became a routine feature of South African local government rather than an exception.

Why this matters now

The 2026 map has five times as many hung councils as 2016, so the bargaining that started then is now the normal way cities are governed.

November 2021

Municipal elections (2021)

The ANC fell to 45.6% of the national vote and lost its outright majorities in most metros, leaving 66 councils hung. The DA and smaller parties became necessary partners in city governments.

Then

Coalition talks dragged on in several cities; some councils cycled through mayors.

Now

The 2021 result confirmed a 15-year decline in ANC support, driven largely by complaints about water and electricity service.

Why this matters now

The 2026 result extends that decline: the ANC lost nearly 15 percentage points in five years and now controls 53 of 213 councils outright.

2006-2011

ANC's municipal peak (2006-2011)

The ANC won 64.9% of the municipal vote in 2006. In 2011 it still won outright majorities in seven of the eight metros, including 58.56% in Johannesburg and 61.07% in eThekwini.

Then

The party governed almost every major city without partners.

Now

Those margins eroded at every subsequent local election, with urban support falling fastest.

Why this matters now

The comparison shows how far the ANC's urban base has fallen: Johannesburg is now at 20.27% and eThekwini at 16.46%.