By Sohaib Shams
The African National Congress is on course for a bruising defeat in South Africa's local elections, with the once-dominant party falling below a third of the national vote after more than 80% of ballots were counted. The former liberation movement, which has led national governments since the end of apartheid in 1994, saw its support drop sharply amid high unemployment, crime, corruption and poor local service delivery.
National vote share declines sharply
With over 80% of votes tallied, the ANC stood at 31.8% nationally, almost 14 percentage points below its 2021 local election result. The centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) held 24.1%, while the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party of former president Jacob Zuma secured 9.3%. Voter turnout rose to 54.5% of registered voters, up from 46% five years ago.
Coalition talks underway in major cities
Final results are expected on Sunday, and parties have begun closed-door coalition negotiations. The ANC is projected to lose its status as the largest party in the two most populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Senior figures in key parties said they would talk with almost anyone while keeping negotiating strategies private.
Johannesburg sees DA lead
In Johannesburg, South Africa's commercial capital, the DA led with 40% of votes counted, followed by the ANC at 17.5% and ActionSA at 15.5%. The DA ran an energetic campaign under Helen Zille, a 75-year-old former Cape Town mayor. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has pledged never to work with Zille, whom he calls "racist," a charge she vehemently denies. A respected thinktank projected the DA will finish with 34%, the ANC 20% and ActionSA 16.8% in the city.
MK party challenges ANC in KwaZulu-Natal
The MK party, founded in 2023 and led by 84-year-old Zuma as he denies numerous corruption allegations, is expected to displace the ANC as the largest party in KwaZulu-Natal. With half of votes counted in eThekwini municipality, which includes Durban, MK held 41%, meaning other parties could form a coalition to keep it out of power.
Turnout rises amid service delivery anger
Voters choose a local councillor and a party, with seats allocated via proportional representation. Councillors will have two weeks to elect mayors and form municipal governments. The DA is projected to maintain its majority in Cape Town despite growing middle-class anger over rising housing costs.
