Early local election count shows ANC facing renewed losses in South Africa

South Africa’s African National Congress was on about 32 percent of the vote after more than 60 percent of ballots had been counted in the country’s municipal elections, according to data cited by Al Jazeera. The Democratic Alliance was second on 25 percent, while former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party stood at 8.5 percent. The early figures point to another difficult election for the ANC, which has governed South Africa since leading the country out of apartheid in 1994.

Municipal elections have generally been weaker for the party than national contests, but the current count puts it under pressure in cities where control is being contested. About 15.9 million of the 29.2 million registered voters cast ballots, according to the electoral commission, producing an estimated turnout of 54.5 percent. That was higher than the 46 percent recorded in the pandemic-affected 2021 local elections.

The elections determine leadership across nearly 300 municipalities, which are responsible for services including water, electricity and refuse collection. The BBC reported that voting proceeded smoothly overall, although some polling stations experienced long queues. More than 500 parties are contesting the elections.

The ANC’s support has declined from almost 70 percent of the national vote in 2004 to just over 40 percent in the 2024 general election. It fell below 50 percent for the first time in the 2021 municipal elections, winning 46 percent, and subsequently had to enter a unity government with nine other parties, including the DA. Both Al Jazeera and the BBC linked the party’s difficulties to public dissatisfaction over corruption, unemployment, crime and failing local services.

The BBC reported complaints from residents of Johannesburg’s Alexandra and Soweto townships about rubbish, water, electricity and deteriorating roads. An auditor-general’s report gave only 39 municipalities clean audits between 2024 and 2025; none of Gauteng’s three metropolitan cities was included. In Johannesburg, projections by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research placed the DA on 34 percent.

The same projections put the MK party on 32 percent in Durban, where it had been viewed as a possible outright winner. The DA was forecast to retain Cape Town with 56 percent, and its leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, had already declared victory, Al Jazeera reported. The projections do not establish final control of the major cities.

With outright majorities appearing unlikely in several municipalities, parties may have to negotiate coalitions. The count is therefore significant not only for the ANC’s vote share but also for the governing arrangements that emerge locally. President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected the idea that the ANC was in a downward spiral during the party’s final rally, telling supporters it was going higher.

The final results are expected on Sunday and will provide a clearer measure of the party’s standing before the 2029 general election.