South Africa News: Local Election Results Leave Councils Hung as Coalition Talks Begin

Election results: ANC still largest, but support falls

South Africans voted in the 2026 local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) described the process as largely trouble-free, and more than 12 million voters took part, with Gauteng recording the highest turnout. By Friday evening the IEC reported results finalised in 150 of 213 municipalities and a 91% national completion rate, with later snapshots near 98%.

Provisional figures from a late IEC snapshot; final numbers may differ slightly when results are declared.

The ANC is leading in 115 councils and has outright control of 48, while the DA leads in 27 and controls 11. The MK Party leads in 18 councils and the IFP in 18. Some outlets have described the ANC’s showing as its weakest national result since 1994, while the party remains the single largest in the country.

Metros and provinces: where the big cities stand

Partial counts taken at different stages on 5–6 November; treat them as indicative.

In Gauteng every municipality except Midvaal is hung, and ActionSA has emerged as a likely kingmaker after leading in dozens of wards that it did not win in 2021. In KwaZulu-Natal the MK Party leads provincially, with the IFP and ANC behind it. In the Northern Cape, 17 of 26 councils are hung, although the ANC remains the largest party there.

Coalition talks: who will work with whom

A hung council is one where no party holds more than half the seats, so parties must agree a coalition to elect a mayor. Formal negotiations are expected to begin after the IEC declares the results on Sunday, and the commission must do so by Wednesday, 11 November.

• ANC: says it will wait for the official declaration and for direction from its national leadership, and describes itself as open to talking to partners. In hung Western Cape councils it has said a DA partnership is off the table.
• DA: has ruled out working with the EFF and the MK Party and says it is in most of the hung Western Cape councils.
• ActionSA: says it is open to negotiating with any party that commits to service delivery and fighting corruption.

Observers note that the previous term’s coalitions produced repeated no-confidence motions, which is why Parliament is considering a Municipal Structures Amendment Bill aimed at stabilising coalition governance.

Fuel prices: levy relief arrives, petrol barely moves

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirmed the November adjustments, effective 4 November. The temporary fuel levy cut announced in the mini-budget cushioned a rise in international product prices and a higher slate levy, which increased by about 48c/l to roughly 136c/l.

The levy cut is R1.50/l on petrol and R3.00/l on diesel until 1 December, then R1.00/l and R1.50/l until 5 January 2027. Petrol remains near historic highs, with October’s inland price of R30.25/l for 95 a record.

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What to watch next

• Sunday, 8 November: the IEC’s official declaration of results.
• The first coalition agreements and mayoral contests in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini.
• 2 December: the fuel levy relief steps down to a smaller cut.
• Around the end of December: the 90-day review of unresolved gender-based violence cases is due.

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