Madar (Johannesburg) - South Africa's Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the final results of the November 4 local government elections on the evening of Sunday, November 8, 2026, and declared the vote "free and fair", the South African Government News Agency reported.
The governing African National Congress (ANC) came first with 30.76% of the vote and 3,246 seats, ahead of the Democratic Alliance (24.64%, 1,695 seats), the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party (9.76%, 785 seats), the Economic Freedom Fighters (6.22%, 588 seats) and ActionSA (5.67%, 313 seats), according to the agency.
The ANC won outright control of 53 municipalities, the DA 12, the IFP 5 and the MK party 3, while no party holds more than half of the seats in 127 municipal councils, the commission said.
IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya told the announcement at the National Results Operation Centre in Midrand that about 14.9 million of 29.2 million registered voters had cast ballots, a turnout of 52%, up from 45.9% in 2021, and that the elections had been largely peaceful.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who attended the announcement, urged parties in municipalities without a majority to find common ground, constitute councils without delay and pass budgets on time, and said essential services should not be held hostage by political disputes, SAnews reported.
