Coalition battles in South African cities as votes counted
The gist
South Africa's ANC fell to about 31% in municipal elections, losing outright majorities in all eight big metros.
Coalition bargaining in Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria now decides who runs these cities.
How it unfolded
- Nov 4, 2026Municipal elections are held across South Africa, with voters casting ballots in Durban and Johannesburg.
- Nov 5, 2026With more than 60% of votes counted, the ANC is on about 32% and the DA on 25%; the DA is forecast to retain Cape Town with 56% and leads Johannesburg with 34%.
- Nov 6, 2026With 81% counted by 1130 GMT, the ANC sits on 32% against 25% for the DA, a drop of about 14 percentage points from the 2021 municipal election.
Key terms
- ANC
- A South African political party that began as an anti-apartheid liberation movement and has governed the country since 1994.
- coalition talks
- A government formed by two or more political parties sharing executive power, usually when no party wins a majority.
- metros
- In South Africa, a metropolitan municipality that runs all local government functions for a city or conurbation.
Source: Wikipedia