South Africa’s ANC suffers setback in local elections
South Africa's ruling ANC party suffered a significant setback in local elections, winning just over 30 percent of the vote. The result forces the party into complex coalition negotiations to form municipal governments in major cities.
Why it matters
The decline of the ANC reflects growing public dissatisfaction with corruption and unemployment, signaling a potential shift in South Africa's political landscape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s party wins just over 30 percent nationally.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info South African President Cyril Ramaphosa votes in local government elections at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg on November 4, 2026 [Oupa Nkosi/Reuters] By AFP and Reuters Published On 8 Nov 2026 8 Nov 2026 South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) party faces a major setback after last week’s municipal elections, leaving it in a weak position in coalition talks to form city governments.
With all votes counted on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC had just over 30 percent nationally against about 25 percent for its main rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA).
That represents a drop of roughly 14 percentage points from its 2021 local elections performance.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in