ANC suffers historic local-election defeat as coalition talks begin

South Africa’s African National Congress has recorded its worst performance in local elections since the end of apartheid, winning 30.76% of the national vote and facing difficult coalition negotiations in municipalities across the country. The Electoral Commission’s final tally, reported by the BBC, put the ANC well below the 46% it won in the previous local elections in 2021. DW similarly reported that the party took less than 31%.

The ANC remained the largest party nationally, but its loss of majorities in most major urban areas marked a sharp further decline for the organisation that has governed South Africa since 1994. The Democratic Alliance finished second with 24.64%, up from 21.83% in 2021, and retained outright control of Cape Town. Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party came third with 9.76% and displaced the ANC as the leading party in Durban, while the Economic Freedom Fighters won 6.22%.

The ANC won a majority in only one of South Africa’s nine provinces, Limpopo, compared with six in 2021. It also won the most votes in just two of the eight metropolitan municipalities, down from six. In several cities no party secured an outright majority, meaning local governments will depend on agreements negotiated among competing parties.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula described the result as “catastrophic” and said voters could not be asked to trust the party merely because of its history. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC accepted the voters’ verdict, however concerning it was. In a weekly letter before the final reaction, he acknowledged that municipal failures had weakened public confidence in democratic governance.

The reports associate the losses with persistent problems in local service delivery, including shortages of water and electricity, inadequate sanitation and infrastructure, unemployment, crime and corruption. Political analysts cited by the BBC described the outcome as evidence of a broader shift away from the dominance of the liberation movement. Analyst William Gumede said South Africa was becoming a “coalition country”.

The DA performed strongly in Pretoria and Johannesburg and is expected to seek governing alliances that exclude the ANC in some municipalities. Its leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, said the party had already begun contacting potential partners. Parties have 14 days from the announcement of results to negotiate coalitions.

The vote is also being watched for what it may indicate ahead of the 2029 national election. The ANC lost its national parliamentary majority for the first time in 2024 and subsequently entered a government of national unity with other parties. Ramaphosa is expected to remain president until 2029, but the ANC will choose a new leader next year.

The election result has intensified uncertainty over the party’s direction and its ability to recover support.