With 95% of the votes counted in the 2026 South African Local Government Election, the winners and losers are becoming clearer. The African National Congress (ANC) has lost majorities and dominant control in key metros, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) has made strong gains.

In Buffalo City, the ANC ended with 42.02% of the vote, leading in 38 out of 50 wards, followed by the United Democratic Movement (UDM) with 18.7%. Mangaung saw a close contest between the ANC (33.9%) and the DA (33.5%).

The DA is set to be the clear leader in Nelson Mandela Bay and is also leading in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, making a full sweep of Gauteng’s metros. The party maintains an outright majority in Cape Town.

In eThekwini, Jacob Zuma’s MK Party holds its lead and is expected to defeat the ANC, but without a majority mandate.

Overall, the ANC leads with 31.2% of the vote, followed by the DA at 24.4%. While the ANC remains the leading party in the country, its losses have been significant. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also saw diminished support.

Smaller parties like ActionSA have risen to be contenders in key metros, becoming the main opposition to the DA in Tshwane, increasing support in Ekurhuleni, and maintaining a sizeable presence in Johannesburg.

The final impact of the vote and ward outcomes will be reflected in council seats, which could shape the parties’ real power to negotiate. With a multitude of hung councils expected, political opponents will need to form coalitions to ensure stability.

The electoral commission is expected to publish the outcome of the local government vote and the allocation of seats on the 257 municipal councils over the weekend. The results broadly align with early predictions from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).