ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots counted

The Guardian · Rachel Savage · 2026-11-06 12:48 UTC

Former liberation movement’s share of national vote almost 14 percentage points below 2021 result

The African National Congress is on course to suffer a bruising defeat in South Africa’s local elections, with the once dominant party of Nelson Mandela falling to under a third of the vote nationally with more than 80% of ballots counted.

Wednesday’s fragmented vote marks another stage in the decline of the ANC, which has led national governments since the end of white minority apartheid rule in 1994. High unemployment, crime, corruption and poor local service delivery have all contributed to voters turning away from the party.

The former liberation movement is projected to lose its status as the biggest party in the two most populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, as parties began coalition negotiations behind closed doors. The final results are expected to be announced on Sunday.

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