South Africans voted on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in South Africa municipal elections that test the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Anger over corruption, crime and failing public services threatens another blow to the party, according to The Hindu. Results are due on Sunday, November 8.
A record 29.2 million people registered to vote, according to Al Jazeera, and votes are now being counted. Al Jazeera’s report was available only as a headline and short excerpt, so its vote-count details could not be confirmed in a full article.
Polling stations were open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, according to The Hindu. The ANC fell below 50% support for the first time in the 2021 municipal elections. Unnamed polls cited by The Hindu suggest it could drop below 40% this time.
Control of Johannesburg is the biggest prize. According to The Hindu, the DA’s Helen Zille was projected to win the most votes but fall short of a majority. The DA is also heavily favoured to retain control of Cape Town, The Hindu reported. These are pre-result projections and expectations, not outcomes.
The ANC lost its national majority in 2024 and was forced into a coalition with the DA and smaller parties. President Cyril Ramaphosa has said municipal failures have contributed to declining public trust. He acknowledged failures within his party and expressed optimism that it would regain support.
The result will set the stage for the 2029 national election and could influence the ANC succession race, as Ramaphosa nears the end of his term as party leader in 2027.
No current vote count or projected results were available in the sources, so the outcome is unknown. The specific pollsters behind the below-40% figure were not identified, and no response from the ANC or DA to the reported results was included.
When results arrive on Sunday, November 8, they will show whether many cities head toward unstable coalition governments.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.