# South Africa’s Local Election Count: ANC Leads as DA Gains and Coalition Stakes Grow

> MKNIRALO — World — SOUTH AFRICA | ELECTION UPDATE

- Published: 2026-11-06
- Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
- Byline: Elena — Civic Life & Humanitarian Affairs Observer
- Byline disclosure: Elena is a house editorial byline maintained by MKNIRALO, not a claim of an independently verified individual. It does not imply eyewitness reporting, legal professional credentials or humanitarian field access. Reporting draws on dated original documents and attributed independent coverage.
- Author profile: https://mkniralo.com/authors/elena/
- Tags: South Africa, Local Elections, ANC, Democratic Alliance, MK Party, EFF, Coalition Politics, Municipal Government
- Cover image: https://mkniralo.com/images/south-africa-local-election-count-update-2026-11-06.svg

With results from 75.5% of voting districts in, the provisional PR ballot shows the ANC at 32.0%, ahead of the DA at 24.4%, while coalition negotiations loom.

South Africa’s local-government election count has moved well beyond Thursday’s first snapshot. At 09:36 South African Standard Time on Friday, the public dashboard showed results from 17,890 of 23,696 voting districts (75.5%). On the proportional-representation (PR) ballot, the ANC had 32.0%, the DA 24.4%, MK Party 9.3% and the EFF 6.2%. These remain provisional shares, not a declared result.

## The count has moved beyond the first snapshot

At 12:00 GMT on Thursday, with 36% counted, Reuters put the ANC at about 32% and the DA at 27%. The latest PR snapshot shows the ANC still ahead, by 7.6 points. The figures are not a precise like-for-like swing: the live dashboard separates PR votes from ward and district-council ballots, while early wire coverage described the national count in its own terms. The safe conclusion is that the ANC remains first on the reported PR ballot and the DA is its nearest rival.

The 75.5% figure means voting districts with results, not 75.5% of all voters. Local elections involve two or three ballots: a ward candidate, a party list and, outside metropolitan areas, a district-council ballot. These measures answer different questions. A national PR percentage is not a ward result, a seat allocation or proof that a party controls a municipality.

Sources:
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [South Africa’s ANC faces 'worst nightmare' as vote share tumbles](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-32-vote-with-12-votes-counted-municipal-election-2026-11-05/) — Reuters

## The ANC’s decline remains the central signal

At 32.0%, the ANC is about 14.1 percentage points below its 46.14% share on the same PR ballot in the 2021 local elections. The comparison uses the same ballot type, not a mix of ward, PR and district results. It marks a substantial decline from an election in which the ANC had already recorded a historic municipal low.

The result follows the ANC’s loss of its parliamentary majority in 2024 and its entry into a government of national unity with the DA and smaller parties. But local elections test local performance. Councillors and the mayors they choose oversee services residents encounter directly, including water, sanitation and refuse collection. The Associated Press reported that these issues, alongside unreliable electricity, infrastructure failures, crime and unemployment, featured prominently in the campaign. Voters are judging parties on their towns and cities as well as national politics.

Sources:
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [National Results Summary for the 2021 Municipal Elections](https://www.elections.org.za/content/Documents/Election-reports/Municipal-Elections/2021-Municipal-Elections-Report---Compressed-17MB/) — Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)
- [South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANC](https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-local-elections-campaigns-705218e4f02ed9e2f04216fc923c6998) — The Associated Press

## The DA is gaining, but national rank is not council control

The DA’s 24.4% on the current PR ballot is about 2.7 points above its 21.75% share in 2021. That is a meaningful improvement, but it leaves the party behind the ANC nationally. The regional picture is stronger: the live count shows the DA leading in the Western Cape with 55.3% and in Gauteng with 34.1%, although the share of reporting districts differs between provinces.

The DA’s urban strength could matter more than its national percentage. In a 5 November SABC snapshot, with 12% of Gauteng voting districts declared, the DA led in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, while ActionSA was ahead in Tshwane; Reuters separately reported the DA at 60% in the early Cape Town count. But a lead in a partial count is not a majority of seats. The DA must convert votes into council seats and negotiate where no party has a majority. Its partnership with the ANC in national government does not determine local coalitions.

Sources:
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [South Africa’s ANC faces 'worst nightmare' as vote share tumbles](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-32-vote-with-12-votes-counted-municipal-election-2026-11-05/) — Reuters
- [National Results Summary for the 2021 Municipal Elections](https://www.elections.org.za/content/Documents/Election-reports/Municipal-Elections/2021-Municipal-Elections-Report---Compressed-17MB/) — Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)
- [DA leading in Gauteng metros except Tshwane](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/da-leading-in-gauteng-metros-except-tshwane/) — SABC News

## MK’s national share and KwaZulu-Natal strength are different stories

MK Party has 9.3% of the national PR vote in the latest snapshot. Its strongest showing is concentrated in KwaZulu-Natal, where it leads the PR count at 35.1%. A party can therefore be a major provincial force without approaching the same level of support nationally. The 35.1% figure is a provincial share, not a national one, and cannot be substituted for MK’s 9.3% national tally.

The provincial result gives MK potential leverage over councils in KwaZulu-Natal, where the party and the Inkatha Freedom Party were already ahead of the ANC in early returns, Reuters reported. Whether that becomes control depends on each municipality’s seat totals and the partners available after verification. National and provincial numbers should not be confused.

Sources:
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [South Africa’s ANC faces 'worst nightmare' as vote share tumbles](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-32-vote-with-12-votes-counted-municipal-election-2026-11-05/) — Reuters

## The EFF is weaker, while smaller parties may gain leverage

The EFF stands at 6.2% on the PR ballot, down from 10.46% in 2021. The provisional comparison shows a clear decline, but it does not establish where those votes have gone. It would be premature to say that EFF losses transferred directly to MK or another party; the available count does not track individual voter movements.

ActionSA is on 5.1% nationally in the current PR snapshot, while the IFP is on 4.6%. In early returns from Johannesburg, Reuters reported that ActionSA was performing strongly and could emerge as a kingmaker if no party secured a majority. The South African Communist Party is also contesting the national local-election field under its own name at unprecedented scale, while saying it remains part of the Tripartite Alliance. Smaller parties may not lead nationally, but a few seats can decide a hung council.

Sources:
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [South Africa’s ANC faces 'worst nightmare' as vote share tumbles](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-32-vote-with-12-votes-counted-municipal-election-2026-11-05/) — Reuters
- [SACP says LGE preparations on track after IEC submission](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sacp-says-lge-preparations-on-track-after-iec-submission/) — SABC News

## Coalition arithmetic is the next contest

By 11 p.m. on Thursday, IOL reported that 69 of the 100 councils with enough results for an initial assessment had no outright winner. The ANC had secured 21, the DA six and MK three; 113 councils were still being calculated. This was an earlier snapshot, not a final map of control, but it shows why coalition negotiations are likely to shape the next phase.

The IEC has warned against treating results displayed at voting stations as final. In a Thursday briefing reported by SAnews, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi said the Commission had received just over 800 complaints, with about 106 still open. Objections could be lodged by 17:00 on Friday, and the Commission said it could not declare final results before then. A result slip remains provisional until checks are complete and objections that could lead to a recount or change are resolved.

The count supports a measured conclusion, not a winner’s announcement. The ANC remains the largest party on the national PR ballot but is far below its 2021 level; the DA has gained ground; MK has a concentrated base in KwaZulu-Natal; and the EFF is down from its previous municipal share. Verified seats and negotiations in individual councils will determine who governs. The immediate test is whether those coalitions can deliver the services voters have demanded.

Sources:
- [SA’s political auction begins as parties bargain for control of councils](https://iol.co.za/lge2026/2026-11-05-sas-political-auction-begins-as-parties-bargain-for-control-of-councils/) — Independent Online (IOL)
- [IEC reports 15.9 million election participants, as results process continues](https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-reports-159-million-election-participants-results-process-continues) — SAnews / Government Communication and Information System
- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures
- [National Results Summary for the 2021 Municipal Elections](https://www.elections.org.za/content/Documents/Election-reports/Municipal-Elections/2021-Municipal-Elections-Report---Compressed-17MB/) — Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)
- [South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANC](https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-local-elections-campaigns-705218e4f02ed9e2f04216fc923c6998) — The Associated Press

## About this article

This article reflects the public sources available on the publication and update dates shown above. For developing stories, follow the linked source pages for subsequent statements or decisions.

## Sources and further reading

- [2026 Local Election Results (South Africa) | IEC data | ESP](https://www.esp.info/elections/local/2026?ballot=pr) — ESP public results dashboard reproducing official IEC figures (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [South Africa’s ANC faces 'worst nightmare' as vote share tumbles](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-32-vote-with-12-votes-counted-municipal-election-2026-11-05/) — Reuters (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [National Results Summary for the 2021 Municipal Elections](https://www.elections.org.za/content/Documents/Election-reports/Municipal-Elections/2021-Municipal-Elections-Report---Compressed-17MB/) — Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANC](https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-local-elections-campaigns-705218e4f02ed9e2f04216fc923c6998) — The Associated Press (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [SA’s political auction begins as parties bargain for control of councils](https://iol.co.za/lge2026/2026-11-05-sas-political-auction-begins-as-parties-bargain-for-control-of-councils/) — Independent Online (IOL) (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [IEC reports 15.9 million election participants, as results process continues](https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-reports-159-million-election-participants-results-process-continues) — SAnews / Government Communication and Information System (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [SACP says LGE preparations on track after IEC submission](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sacp-says-lge-preparations-on-track-after-iec-submission/) — SABC News (published 2026-08-30) (accessed 2026-11-06)
- [DA leading in Gauteng metros except Tshwane](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/da-leading-in-gauteng-metros-except-tshwane/) — SABC News (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-06)