Catch up with all the latest news ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Elections 2026
The IEC results board at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. Picture: The Citizen/Faizel Patel
Counting has finished, and results continue to pour in after millions of South Africans took to the polls in the 2026 Local Government elections this week.
Coalitions are set to take the spotlight in many metros and municipalities across the country, after voters cast their ballots for those they believe can deliver much-needed services.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that coalition discussions have begun, with the party set to discuss terms with the ANC and others.
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“We have reached out to many parties over the last 24 hours. At the moment, these are informal and more discussions about having discussions.
“The more formal discussions will begin today or in the coming days”.
“I want to invite other parties who want to put South Africa first, and residents of towns and cities first, to join us in these talks.”
With around 80% of votes announced nationally, the ANC’s collapse in support is evident across most of the country.
Opposition parties are leading in three provinces: the DA in the Western Cape and Gauteng, and the MK party in KwaZulu-Natal.
The DA is floating around the 40% mark in Joburg, with half of the results announced so far.
The MK party is also over that mark in eThekwini, where the ANC has fallen to less than 17% of the total vote.
The Northern Cape is the most advanced of the provinces, with almost all votes accounted for. There, the ANC won 7 councils and the RTC 1. There are a total of 17 hung councils in the province.
Nearly all of Buffalo City metro has also been announced, with the ANC managing 42.18% of the vote. They will need to find a coalition partner to help them over the line.
We should get nearly all the results in today, with a much clearer picture of the numbers needed. Then it is time for parties to start making calls to political friends and foes.
Around 15.9 million South Africans turned out to vote, with Gauteng recording the highest voter turnout. There were 29.2 million registered voters for this election, making turnout an estimated 54.4%.
The total voter turnout in South Africa’s last local government elections in 2021 was 45.86%
