In brief
Provisional municipal election results from South Africa show the ANC maintaining a narrow lead over the DA after two‑thirds of votes are tallied. While the ANC holds sway in half the provinces, the DA dominates major metros, and the MK Party rises in KwaZulu‑Natal, the competition is tightening ahead of the 2029 national election.
Johannesburg, Nov. 6 – As South Africa’s municipal vote counting wrapped up near midnight, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) preserved a narrow nationwide lead over the Democratic Alliance (DA), according to provisional results released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). The ANC tallied roughly 32 percent of the 15 million valid votes counted, while the DA secured about 25 percent.
Two‑thirds of the country’s eligible ballots had been tallied by 11:59 p.m. local time, the IEC’s real‑time system displayed. The numbers remain provisional, with the commission warning that final collation would finish by the weekend as ongoing verification and audits concluded.
The ANC maintained control in six of South Africa’s nine provinces – North West, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Free State – feeding their narrow national advantage. In contrast, the DA led the race in Gauteng and Western Cape, reflecting the party’s growing foothold in the country’s economic heart and its traditional strongholds.
At the municipal level, the DA currently holds a head‑start in six of eight metropolitan councils. Its strongest city performances appear in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and Mangaung, where the party controls the majority of seats and is poised to re‑elect mayors elected by council vote. In Cape Town, the DA has retained control, with approximately 62 percent of the municipal vote, ensuring its hold on the helm of the coastal capital.
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, rises in KwaZulu‑Natal. It is leading both the provincial tally and the city council of eThekwini, the Durban metropolitan area, indicating a significant shift in the region’s political allegiance.
These fragmented results illustrate a tightening competition in local governance. The ANC’s nationwide lead is challenged by the DA’s strength in urban centers, while the MK Party’s gains could alter power balances in coalition talks that are a staple of South Africa’s municipal system.
As municipal councils elect mayors and govern city affairs, parties that fail to secure outright majorities must negotiate coalitions with smaller partners. The DA’s metropolitan success places it in a stronger bargaining position, whereas the ANC may seek support from regional parties to sustain its influence in council seats around the country.
In many of these cities, coalition negotiations will determine municipal leadership, particularly in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay. The IEC notes that while the ANC and DA are partners in the national Government of National Unity, provincial and local dynamics could prompt new alliances that differ from the national arrangement.
The shifting political dynamics signal that local elections may foreshadow broader changes for the 2029 national ballot. Each city’s result, from the industrial hubs to the coastal capitals, drops light on emerging preferences that could reshape future policy discussions.
As full collation and final verification proceed over the weekend, analysts expect the final tally to confirm or adjust the current leading positions. Parties on all sides are preparing for post‑election negotiations that will shape the direction of local government for the next four years.
