ANC Falls to 30.94% in Local Elections
The party's national vote share drops sharply from 45.59% in 2021 as it loses control of several metros and municipalities.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in City Hall
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Should parties that lose voter support still form coalitions to hold power?
The African National Congress received 30.94% of the national vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections, down from 45.59% in 2021. The party lost control of several metros and municipalities as a result.
Why it matters
The ANC will now enter coalition negotiations in several areas without a majority, and its ally the South African Communist Party has said it will not commit to rescuing the party. The result reshapes local governance across South Africa and tests the viability of the ruling party's alliances.
The figures come from the national vote share recorded in the 2026 Local Government Elections, compared with the 2021 result of 45.59%, a drop of roughly 14.65 percentage points. Coalition outcomes in the metros and municipalities the ANC lost remain unresolved until final results are confirmed.
The players
African National Congress (ANC)
The ANC is South Africa's governing party and has led the national government since the end of apartheid in 1994.
South African Communist Party (SACP)
The SACP is a long-standing ally of the ANC within the tripartite alliance and has declined to commit to rescuing the party in coalition talks.
Newzroom Afrika
Newzroom Afrika is a South African 24-hour news television channel where Ntuli gave comment on the ANC's coalition plans.
The details
The ANC will meet the weekend after the results were released to reflect on its performance and plan the way forward. The South African Communist Party has said it is waiting for final results before discussing coalitions, will stick to its manifesto, and will ask its supporters for instructions on coalitions. It has ruled out coalition discussions with parties representing capitalist interests and said it lost its identity working with the ANC for 30 years.
Timeline
2021: The ANC received 45.59% of the national vote.
2026 Local Government Elections: The ANC dropped to 30.94% of the national vote.
Friday, 6 November 2026: Ntuli spoke to Newzroom Afrika about the ANC's coalition plans.
Weekend of 7 to 8 November 2026: The ANC is scheduled to meet and reflect on the results.
Political Context
The ANC's decline from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.94% in 2026 continues a pattern of eroding majority support since the party first won power in the 1994 election that ended apartheid. The result forces the party into coalition arrangements in a political landscape it has not previously needed to navigate at national scale.
Residents of the metros and municipalities the ANC lost may see changes in local leadership and service priorities once coalitions are formed. The outcome of coalition negotiations will determine which party controls local councils and the budgets they administer.
The takeaway
The ANC's loss of majority support at the local level means coalition arrangements will now shape how many South African municipalities are governed. Readers should watch the final results and the weekend meeting for signals on the party's next steps.
What happens next
The ANC is scheduled to meet on the weekend of 7 to 8 November 2026 to reflect on the results and plan its way forward.
Further reading
For more on how local government is structured and run across the country, see City Hall.
Live Poll
Should parties that lose voter support still form coalitions to hold power?
