In brief
The African National Congress (ANC) retained its position as South Africa's largest party in the 2026 local elections, securing 30.76% of the vote. This marks a drop of over 14 percentage points from the 2021 elections, according to the Electoral Commission. Despite the decline, the ANC maintains the most seats amid a shifting political landscape.
South Africa's ruling African National Congress retained its status as the country’s largest party in the 2026 local government elections, but saw a sharp decline in voter support, according to final results released by the Electoral Commission on Sunday.
The final counts show ANC winning 30.76 percent of the vote, a fall of more than 14 percentage points from the share recorded in the 2021 local elections.
Despite the significant drop, ANC remains ahead of other parties in terms of seats on the national council.
The Electoral Commission’s announcement was made in Johannesburg on November 8, 2026, and the results have been confirmed by the commission as the definitive outcome of the election.
