In brief
The Electoral Commission of South Africa announced that the ANC retained its position as the country’s largest party in the 2026 local government elections, winning 30.76% of the vote—down more than 14 percentage points from 2021. Despite the steep decline, the party still holds the most seats. The results, released by Xinhua on Sunday, November 8, 2026, underline the ANC’s enduring electoral dominance amid growing dissent.
Johannesburg – The African National Congress (ANC) continued its reign as South Africa’s largest political party in the 2026 local government elections, according to a release by Xinhua and the Electoral Commission of South Africa on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The final results show the ANC captured 30.76% of the vote, a fall of more than 14 percentage points compared with its performance in the 2021 local elections.
Despite the sharp drop in voter support, the ANC maintains the highest number of seats in the municipal councils. The Electoral Commission’s data does not disclose the exact seat distribution, but notes that the party remains the largest overall, implying that no other bloc surpassed it in the total count.
Xinhua reported the figures as “final results released by the Electoral Commission” and emphasized that the ANC’s share of the vote, while lower than in 2021, still positions it as the dominant force in local governance. No counterclaims or alternative figures were presented by other outlets at the time of the announcement.
The 2026 local elections, held concurrently across the nation, saw a wider margin of decline for the ANC, pointing to increasing competition from opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters. However, the ANC’s continued majority in seats indicates that its electoral base, though eroding, remains substantial enough to secure a commanding presence on municipal councils.
Observers noted that this outcome reflects continued voter fatigue with the ANC’s leadership while underscoring the party’s entrenched infrastructure and reach across urban and rural locales. The results will likely shape the political landscape of local governments as the incoming councils prepare for the next term.
