The African National Congress (ANC) is facing its weakest electoral performance since the dawn of democracy, with early results from the 2026 Local Government Elections showing a significant decline in support as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA make gains in key metropolitan areas.
With more than half of the votes counted on Thursday evening, the ANC was polling at approximately 31.65% nationally, compared with 25.25% for the DA. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party was in third place on 8.48%, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 6.03% and ActionSA on 4.56%.
The figures marked a substantial decline for the ANC compared with the 2021 local government elections, when it received 45.59% of the national vote.
DA leads in several metros
The DA made significant gains in major urban centres, emerging as the leading party in several metropolitan municipalities as counting progressed.
In Johannesburg, the DA was polling at 40.61%, followed by the ANC on 16.64% and ActionSA on 15.94%, with approximately 38% of votes counted at the time.
In Tshwane, the DA was on 34.86%, while ActionSA had secured 22.16% and the ANC 20.18%. In Ekurhuleni, the DA was polling at 31.66%, followed by the ANC on 21.3% and ActionSA on 17.94%.
The DA was also leading in Nelson Mandela Bay, while the party maintained its position in Cape Town, where it was projected to secure an outright majority.
The ANC, meanwhile, was expected to face challenges in Buffalo City and Mangaung, where it remained ahead but appeared unlikely to secure outright majorities.
ActionSA emerges as a key player
ActionSA also recorded a notable performance, particularly in Gauteng, where its support placed it in a potentially influential position in coalition negotiations.
The party’s performance in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg could make it an important player in determining the composition of the next municipal administrations.
ActionSA representatives indicated that the party intended to be central to coalition discussions in the three Gauteng metros, while setting out conditions around issues including corruption, service delivery and illegal immigration.
Coalition negotiations expected
The early results point to a growing number of hung councils, with no single party securing enough votes to govern independently in several municipalities.
By late Thursday night, 69 of the 100 councils that had been decided had no outright winner, according to figures reported by IOL. The ANC had secured 21 councils outright, the DA six and the MK Party three.
The results signal a changing political landscape, with smaller parties potentially holding significant influence in coalition negotiations.
The IEC was expected to continue processing results, with final results scheduled to be announced once the counting and objection processes had been completed.
The figures cited in this report reflect the counting position at different stages on Thursday, 5 November 2026, and should not be treated as final election results. (IOL)
