Election results 2026: ANC on track for worst-ever results
The ANC, which led the fight against apartheid rule in South Africa, is on course for its worst electoral showing yet in this week’s municipal vote as it bore the brunt of public anger over water and power outages and potholed roads.
With 70% of the ballots counted nationally, the ANC had 31.9% support, according to official tallies published on the Electoral Commission’s website on Friday.
The party secured 45.6% of the vote in the last municipal elections five years ago and just over 40% in the last national vote in 2024, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since it took power three decades earlier.
Led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC governs the country in a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and eight smaller parties.
Investors will be watching for any surge in backing for populist opposition groups and what that could mean for the stability of the ruling alliance, which has prioritised economic growth and job creation.
Former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party, or MKP, and Julius Malema’s EFF, which both splintered from the ANC and advocate for the state to play a bigger role in the economy, now form the main opposition.
The partial results show the DA had 24.6% support, up from 21.7% in 2021, and the EFF 6.2%, down from 10.3%. The MKP, which was only formed in 2023, had 9%.
The electoral commission is expected to release the final outcome of the vote and the allocation of seats on the 257 municipal councils over the weekend.
Results as of 6:50 a.m. local time:
| Party | Support |
|---|---|
| ANC | 31.9% |
| DA | 24.6% |
| MKP | 9% |
| EFF | 6.2% |
| ActionSA | 4.8% |
The Electoral Commission also published the voting breakdown in individual towns and cities, with the count at varying stages of completion.
The partial tallies showed the DA was on track to retain its majority in Cape Town, the country’s main tourist hub, while no party led outright in any of the seven other biggest metropolises.
| Metropolitan Area | ANC | DA | MKP | EFF | ActionSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 17% | 41% | 4.9% | 6.9% | 15.6% |
| Cape Town | 9.7% | 61.2% | 0.4% | 2.8% | 2.6% |
| eThekwini | 16.8% | 20.9% | 43.7% | 1.5% | 2.8% |
| Tshwane | 21.7% | 32.8% | 2.2% | 5.9% | 22.6% |
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1 commentsThe ANC has no plan, nothing. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and again and expecting different results.