JOHANNESBURG-(MaraviPost)-South Africa’s 2026 municipal elections remain wide open, with the African National Congress (ANC) still ahead nationally but the Democratic Alliance (DA) steadily expanding its control at council level as counting continues.
The latest update from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) at 16:30 on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with 44 percent of results verified, places the ANC on 31.96 percent of the national vote, ahead of the DA on 27 percent.
The gap at the top, however, tells only part of the story. Beneath the national percentages, a fierce battle for control of municipalities is unfolding — and it is there that the DA is gaining ground.
So far, the ANC is leading in 39 councils and has secured outright control in 12. It has won 762 seats across the country.
The DA, by contrast, is leading in 13 councils and controlling four, with 456 seats secured. While still behind the ANC in both votes and seats, the opposition party’s expanding footprint in councils points to a growing ability to govern at local level, particularly in urban and Western Cape strongholds where it has traditionally performed well.
Behind the two frontrunners, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is consolidating its position as a major force in local politics. On 7.14 percent nationally, the party has already taken 100 seats, is leading in four councils, and controls two — a significant showing for a party that only emerged on the national stage in recent years.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are in fourth place on 5.73 percent, with 58 seats, but have yet to establish a lead in a council in the results counted so far.
Further down the table, the contest is fragmenting. ActionSA is on 3.80 percent with 13 seats, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) holds 3.58 percent and 30 seats, underscoring its continued relevance in KwaZulu-Natal. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has 3.75 percent and 51 seats, and the Patriotic Alliance — with 3.20 percent — has surprisingly picked up 95 seats, reflecting its strength in specific local wards.
The South African Communist Party (SACP), contesting separately from its traditional alliance partner, stands at 2.62 percent with 28 seats. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has 0.65 percent and 12 seats, while the Rise to Change (RTC) has 0.13 percent and nine seats. Other smaller parties combined account for 9.70 percent and 77 seats, while independent candidates have taken 0.47 percent and six seats.
What is emerging is a local government landscape more diverse — and more hung — than in previous cycles. No single party is on course for the kind of dominance the ANC once enjoyed nationally, and coalition negotiations are expected to decide control of many municipalities once counting is complete.
With 56 percent of results still to be counted, the outcome remains fluid. Late-reporting districts, particularly in rural areas and in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng where competition is tightest, could still shift both the national percentages and the number of councils each party leads.
For now, the ANC retains the advantage, the DA is building a council base, and the MK Party is proving it cannot be ignored in municipal politics.
The IEC is expected to release further updates through the evening as counting continues.
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