With 98 per cent of ballots counted, the governing party has lost its majority in six of South Africa's eight metropolitan municipalities.

Published 8 Nov 2026, 06:41 GMT

2 min read

South African President and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa with supporters — ANC leader and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with supporters (file photo)

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South Africa's governing African National Congress dropped to 30.95 per cent of the national vote in municipal election results released on Saturday, November 7, losing its majority in six of eight metropolitan municipalities.

Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party stood third in the national municipal count with 9.62 per cent of the vote, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in fourth place on 6.26 per cent.

In the administrative capital, Pretoria, within the Tshwane municipality, and the commercial hub of Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance established a clear lead and is expected to assemble local governing coalitions that exclude the ANC.

The result marks the steepest municipal decline for the liberation movement once led by Nelson Mandela, which governed South Africa as the dominant political force for more than three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994.

In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC secured nearly 46 per cent of the vote nationwide, before falling to just over 40 per cent in the 2024 general election and losing its parliamentary majority for the first time.

Following the 2024 parliamentary vote, the party formed a broad cross-party national government that remains in office as South Africa confronts economic pressure, including Washington's decision this week to end the country's duty-free AGOA trade access from January 2027.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

ANC suffers historic defeat in South Africa local elections as vote share falls to 31%

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