SACP Wins Over 260 Seats in Local Polls

The South African Communist Party contested local government elections independently for the first time since 1994, securing 2.38% of the national vote.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in City Hall

Live Poll

Do you think smaller parties winning local seats is good for South Africa?

The South African Communist Party (SACP) received 708,723 votes in the Local Government Elections, winning more than 260 seats across the country. The party contested the polls independently for the first time since 1994.

Why it matters

The result gives the SACP a measurable local government presence after breaking from its alliance arrangements. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) said the outcome should help strengthen working-class political representation in South African communities.

The SACP received 708,723 votes, or 2.38% of the national vote, and won more than 260 seats nationwide. The extraction does not provide a comparison with earlier election results or the distribution of seats across municipalities.

The players

South African Communist Party (SACP)

A South African political party that contested the Local Government Elections independently and won more than 260 seats nationwide.

National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU)

A South African public sector trade union that publicly congratulated the SACP on its electoral performance.

The details

The SACP contested the elections independently rather than in alliance, using an election manifesto that placed people first, particularly workers and the poor. NEHAWU congratulated the party on its performance and said the result should serve as a building block for strengthening the SACP's presence in communities.

1994: The SACP contested its first election independently since this year.
9 November 2026: NEHAWU published its congratulations on the SACP's local government election results.

Political Context

The SACP's decision to run independently returns it to the electoral path it last took in 1994, the year of South Africa's democratic breakthrough. NEHAWU framed the decision as a response to a changing political balance of forces and a need to strengthen working-class representation.

For South African voters, the SACP's seat gains mean an independent communist-party voice in local councils where those seats are held. The extraction does not specify which municipalities the seats cover or what policy changes will follow.

The takeaway

The SACP's independent run shows that smaller left-leaning parties can gain a meaningful local presence outside formal alliances, and voters should watch how those seats translate into council action.