The ANC in South Africa faces its worst performance in local elections

South Africans are expressing great discontent

The electoral performance of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa is reaching an all-time low, according to data obtained from local votes this week. These results, which reflect a significant change in citizens' electoral preferences, suggest a deep crisis of confidence in the party. Following Wednesday's partial tolls, the ANC received just over 30% of the vote.

The South African Electoral Commission said on Saturday, after 98% of the votes had been counted, that the ANC had lost a majority in six of the country's eight metropolitan regions. This complex situation raises serious questions about the future of local government.

South Africans are expressing great discontent in 2026, especially related to water shortages and problems of electricity supply. The ANC assumes responsibility for the precarious state of municipal governments. In addition to these vital issues, issues such as high unemployment, persistent crime and widespread corruption are major obstacles affecting society.

Although ANC leader and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa did not publicly address the negative result until Saturday evening, he acknowledged in his weekly presidential letter that „municipal failures have contributed to diminishing public confidence and confidence in democratic administration . On the same day, Fikile Mbalula, secretary general of the ANC, told reporters that it was imperative that the party actively work to regain public trust. The package emphasized that ”we cannot ask people to trust us solely on the basis of our history. He described this situation as „an extremely catastrophic outcome for the ANC... although we are the largest party, it was a catastrophe for the movement”, adding that perspective.

These local results can serve as

Political analyst Daniel Silke assessed the situation for the AFP news agency, stating that while the ANC will remain the largest party in terms of total votes, it has held an absolute majority for much of its history, until the 2024 general election, when it lost its first parliamentary majority in South Africa's democratic period. Silke noted that „this is the worst outcome the ANC could have feared. He continued that ”it is the worst result of the ANC in history , adding that this forecast will weaken the party's ability to exercise local and national authority.

These local results can serve as a barometer of voter sentiment ahead of the 2029 general election. The ANC, under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, played a key role in ending apartheid and took power in 1994, marking South Africa's transition to a democracy. However, over the last decade, the party's performance has gradually declined in each election cycle. In 2024, the ANC gained just over 40% of the national vote, while in the previous municipal elections in 2021, the percentage was 46%. After losing the absolute majority in 2024, the ANC formed a national unity government of inter-party unity, including all the forces represented in parliament, and it remains in office.

The decline of the ANC is fueled by widespread hopelessness linked to corruption, poor resource management and chronic unemployment. At the same time, smaller parties have emerged in the political landscape of South Africa, eroding the traditional electoral base of the ANC. The DA opposition party has gained solid positions in the major cities. South Africa now faces the need for complex coalition negotiations for municipal governance.

The centre-right, business-oriented Democratic Alliance (DA) is ranked second in the polls with 24% of the vote. The DA will retain control of Cape Town by an absolute majority. It also performed well in the capitals of Pretoria and Johannesburg, the economic centre. It is anticipated that the DA will build alliances that exclude the ANC. Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA leader, told the press that „all electoral efforts are now over, and the time is now to form governments capable of solving the problems of these cities and municipalities. He added that ”we have already contacted numerous parties in the last 24 hours and will continue this process today . This development underlines a fundamental change in the country's political dynamics, moving away from the ANC's historic hegemony. Analysts suggest that the future of local government will be determined by these coalition negotiations.