ANC Suffers Historic Decline in South African Municipal Elections

South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) recorded its worst result ever in the municipal elections, securing less than 31% of the vote, according to the final count released on Sunday.

Its main rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA), garnered just under 25% of the votes.

The ANC lost its majority in six of the eight metropolitan municipalities, the Electoral Commission said on Saturday. With no outright winner declared in several major cities, coalition negotiations are expected to be challenging.

ANC secretary general says outcome ‘catastrophic’

While the ANC remains the largest party nationally, it has faced growing voter backlash. In 2026, many South Africans are frustrated by water and electricity shortages, blaming the ANC for municipal failures. High unemployment, crime and widespread corruption dominate the public agenda.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC’s leader, has not yet addressed the party’s poor showing. In his weekly presidential letter, however, he acknowledged that municipal failures have eroded public trust in democratic governance.

ANC Secretary‑General Fikile Mbalula said on Saturday that the party must work to regain public confidence. “We cannot ask the people to trust us merely because of our history,” he stated. “This has been a very catastrophic outcome for the ANC… as much as we are the largest party, it has been catastrophic for the movement,” he added.

The ANC’s steady decline with voters

The ANC had governed with an absolute majority for most of its history until the 2024 general election, when it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in South Africa’s democratic era.

“This is the most severe result that the ANC would have feared,” political analyst Daniel Silke told AFP. “It’s the ANC’s worst result in history,” he added, noting that the outcome will undermine the party’s authority at both local and national levels and could signal voter sentiment ahead of the 2029 general election.

Founded by Nelson Mandela, the ANC played a pivotal role in ending apartheid and assumed power in 1994 when South Africa became a democracy.

Over the past decade, however, the party’s performance has deteriorated steadily. In the 2024 national polls it secured just over 40% of the vote, and in the 2021 municipal elections it obtained 46%.

After losing its absolute majority in 2024, the ANC entered a cross‑party national unity government with all parliamentary parties, which remains in power.

The ANC’s decline reflects widespread disillusionment with corruption, mismanagement and high unemployment. Smaller parties have also emerged, further eroding the ANC’s voter base.

DA opposition holds large cities

The pro‑business, centre‑right Democratic Alliance (DA) is set to retain control of Cape Town after winning an outright majority. It also performed strongly in Pretoria and Johannesburg and is expected to form coalition governments that exclude the ANC.

“All of the cut and thrust that comes with the election is now over, and it is time now… to put together governments that can actually fix these towns and cities,” DA leader Geordin Hill‑Lewis told reporters. He added, “We have already reached out to many parties over the last 24 hours and will continue to do so today.”

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