A voter marks her ballot in a voting booth at the Johannesburg City Hall polling station in Johannesburg, on November 4, 2026, during South Africa’s local government elections. South Africans vote on November 4, 2026 in a closely watched local government election, with parties battling for control of major cities in a contest expected to offer a measure of the national mood before the next national polls. (Photo by Cecilia Seregni / AFP)

South Africa’s once-dominant African National Congress was headed for its worst-ever election performance Friday with about a third of support after 80 percent of the votes from local government polls had been counted.

Wednesday’s municipal elections were dominated by concerns over failing water and power supplies in one of Africa’s wealthiest nations which became a democracy in 1994 when the ANC took power.

With final results expected by Sunday, the election authority dashboard showed the ANC was still the largest party with 31.8 percent of votes after 80 percent had been counted.

Projections released Thursday by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a state-funded research body, put its support at nearly 32 percent.

This was its lowest score yet for the party after it secured just over 40 percent at the 2024 national polls and 46 percent at the previous municipal elections in 2021.

At the heart of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, the ANC — the party of jailed liberation hero-turned-president Nelson Mandela — took nearly 70 percent of the national vote in 2004.

“This is the most severe result that the ANC would have feared,” political analyst Daniel Silke told AFP. “It’s the ANC’s worst result in history.”

“It will undermine its ability to exert authority across South Africa, not just at a local level, but frankly at a national level as well,” he told AFP.

“And opposition parties will be smelling blood when it comes to the next election in 2029.”

The party now led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has borne the brunt of criticism about years of municipal mismanagement that have left South Africans grappling with failing water supplies, persistent power cuts and crumbling public services.

The pro-business, centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) was placing second with 24.2 percent of votes, according to the 80 percent count. This was up from nearly 22 percent in the 2021 local government election.

ANC gets 30% in South Africa’s election, partial results show

Suggested for you

More Stories

2027: Professor urges journalists to probe campaign promises, prioritise citizens&#8217; needs

FIFA U-17 WWC Final: Nigeria vs Japan &#8211; date, time and where to watch

INEC: 116,745 newly registered voters yet to collect PVCs in Lagos

Paraguay&#8217;s President resigns but Congress rejects his resignation

Jude&#8217;s brother Jobe Bellingham gets England call-up

Trump denounces 'crooked' US midterms after Republican debacle

Discussion

2027: Professor urges journalists to probe campaign promises, prioritise citizens’ needs

FIFA U-17 WWC Final: Nigeria vs Japan – date, time and where to watch

Paraguay’s President resigns but Congress rejects his resignation

Jude’s brother Jobe Bellingham gets England call-up