The Democratic Alliance (DA) is leading in voter support as Ekurhuleni heads towards a potential coalition government, with 98% of the election results processed.

The 2026 Local Government Elections in Ekurhuleni are nearing completion, with the latest figures showing the DA ahead of the African National Congress (ANC), followed by ActionSA. However, the number of seats allocated so far tells a slightly different story.

According to figures displayed on the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results board, the DA has secured 30.99% of the vote, while the ANC has 21.84% and ActionSA 18.52%.

However, in terms of the seats allocated so far, the ANC is leading with 53, followed by the DA with 34 and ActionSA with 17. The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has two seats.

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This means that although the DA currently has the highest percentage of voter support, the ANC has secured the most ward seats declared so far.

Why does the ANC have more seats despite the DA leading in voter support?

To understand this, it is important to look at how Ekurhuleni’s metropolitan council is structured.

Ekurhuleni has 112 wards and a total of 224 council seats, made up of:

• 112 ward seats: Each ward elects one councillor. The party or independent candidate receiving the most votes in that ward wins the seat
• 112 proportional representation (PR) seats: These are allocated to political parties according to their overall share of the vote

This system allows a party to win more individual wards while another secures a higher overall percentage of the vote.

The 106 seats currently reflected on the results board appear to represent the ward seats declared so far, comprising 53 for the ANC, 34 for the DA, 17 for ActionSA and two for the PA.

Six wards were still outstanding at the time of publication. The PR seat allocation will also influence the final composition of the council.

What does 98% election completion mean?

The 98% completion rate means that 645 of the 653 voting districts had been completed, while results had been finalised in 106 of Ekurhuleni’s 112 wards.

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Although most of the votes had been counted, the results were not yet final.

Importantly, 98% election completion does not mean that 98% of the council seats have been allocated. At the time of publication, only 106 of the 224 council seats were reflected on the results board.

For a political party to govern Ekurhuleni with an outright majority, it needs at least 113 of the 224 council seats.

Therefore, the DA cannot automatically take control of the municipality simply because it has the highest percentage of voter support.

If no party secures the required 113 seats after all allocations have been finalised, Ekurhuleni will have a hung council.

ActionSA could hold the key to Ekurhuleni’s next administration

In the event of a hung council, political parties will need to negotiate coalition agreements or other arrangements to secure enough support to govern.

Three developments will be particularly important to watch:

• The DA is challenging the ANC’s position: With 30.99% of the voter support reflected on the results board, the DA is currently ahead of the ANC
• ActionSA is emerging as an important political player: With 18.52% of the vote, the party could become a significant coalition partner, depending on the final seat allocation
• Coalition negotiations could determine the next administration: If no party secures an outright majority, smaller parties could have considerable influence over which political grouping governs the metropolitan municipality

The DA, ANC and ActionSA are therefore particularly important in the coalition mathematics.

What about the other parties?

Other parties have also secured notable levels of voter support:

• MK Party (7%): Has a notable voter-support base, although no seats are reflected in the current ward-seat allocation
• EFF (6.45%): Has a meaningful share of the vote but no seats reflected in the displayed allocation
• VF Plus (5.01%): Has also secured a significant share of voter support
• PA (1.55%): Has two seats reflected in the current results

A party having no seats reflected at this stage does not necessarily mean it will finish without representation. The outstanding PR allocation could still change the composition of the council.

The biggest development is that Ekurhuleni could be heading towards another coalition government, with the DA emerging as the leading party in voter support.

However, it would be premature to declare the DA the municipality’s next governing party.

The final outcome will depend on the outstanding ward results, the proportional representation seat allocation and, ultimately, the coalition negotiations that follow.