South Africa's Municipal Count Passes 80 Percent: ANC Leads With 31.8 Percent as 131 Municipalities Complete Counting; Final Results Due November 8
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Counting in South Africa's 2026 local government elections continued to advance: an official file from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) timestamped 13:00 SAST on Friday, November 6, showed 19,210 of 23,696 voting districts counted, about 81 percent. Of the valid votes confirmed so far, the governing African National Congress (ANC) had 31.80 percent, the Democratic Alliance (DA) 24.21 percent and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party 9.28 percent.
The file recorded 22,385,665 ballot papers in total, of which 21,989,035 were valid and 396,630 were spoilt. On the basis of valid votes, the ANC had 6,992,070 votes, the DA 5,322,761 and the MK Party 2,040,820. Of the country's 213 municipalities, 131 had completed counting and verification, with results still outstanding in 82 municipalities and 4,486 voting districts. The Electoral Commission is due to announce the final results on Sunday, November 8.
The count is the ANC's worst local election showing on record: the party won 46 percent in the 2021 local elections and just over 40 percent in the 2024 national polls, while the IEC file and projections from the state-funded Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) put its support this time at about 32 percent. The DA rose from about 22 percent in 2021 to about 24 percent, and the MK Party, a new party formed in 2023, stood at about 9 percent. According to local media citing IEC data, the DA leads in six of the country's eight metropolitan municipalities.
Turnout was estimated by the Electoral Commission at 54.5 percent — about 15.9 million of 29.2 million registered voters cast ballots, up from 46 percent in 2021. Voting took place on Wednesday, November 4, and control of all 213 municipal councils remains to be settled, with several municipalities likely to end up as hung councils requiring coalition governments.
This outlet reported in its November 6, 00:05 batch that counting had passed 70 percent, with the ANC at 31.9 percent and Northern Cape the first province to complete counting; this report is the new snapshot with counting past 80 percent. All figures are from the IEC's official file and are not final certified results.
(Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa)
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：南非约翰内斯堡天际线。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0。 / Photo: The Johannesburg skyline, South Africa. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- 2026-11-01South Africa's IEC Declares Readiness for Local Elections: 2.65 Million Approved for Special Voting on November 2-3
- 2026-11-02South Africa: Special Voting Begins for Local Elections as 678,525 Home-Visit Voters Told to Stay Home for Officials
- 2026-11-02217 Voting Stations in South Africa's Western Cape Open Late on First Day of Special Voting After Ballot Delivery Delay
- 2026-11-02South African President Ramaphosa Urges Voters to Turn Out for November 4 Local Government Elections
- 2026-11-02South Africa special voting day one: nearly 99% of stations open on time, a presiding officer dies at her post
- 2026-11-05South Africa Election Security Tally: 57 Dockets From 85 Voting Day Incidents, Politically Motivated Murders Reach 21
- 2026-11-06South Africa Survey: 90% Saw Local Elections as Free, 91% as Fair, as Trust in the IEC Slips to 81%
- 2026-11-06South Africa's Municipal Count Passes 80 Percent: ANC Leads With 31.8 Percent as 131 Municipalities Complete Counting; Final Results Due November 8This story
