The African National Congress (ANC) has lost significant ground in the 2026 local government elections, with its national support falling to just under a third of the vote.
The party has also lost outright majorities in more than a hundred municipalities it controlled after the 2021 elections.
Speaking at the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)’s official announcement of the 2026 local government election results in Midrand on Sunday, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has described the decline as concerning, acknowledging the need to take the message from voters seriously.
The ANC remains the largest party nationally, but its support has dropped by almost 15% since 2021.
In the previous election, the party held outright majorities in 161 municipalities.
This year, that number has fallen to just 51, and hung councils have also nearly doubled, from 66 in 2021 to 127 this year.
This means parties will have to negotiate coalition arrangements to govern in many municipalities.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) finished second nationally, with 24.60% of the vote, followed by the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, with 9.61%.
The ANC’s decline follows years of public frustration over poor service delivery, corruption and unemployment, with many communities still facing water and electricity challenges.
Ramaphosa has acknowledged the party’s declining support.
“It is a decline that is concerning; that is how I characterise it.”
In his capacity as president, Ramaphosa also urged all political parties to accept the election outcome and prioritise communities’ needs as they work to form new municipal governments.
