2026 election results: Final numbers in sight as 95% of votes counted, with winners and losers clear
Vote counting for the 2026 Local Government Election is entering its final stretch, with 95% of the votes tallied and two major metros completed
The final count for Buffalo City saw the ANC end with 42.02% of the vote, leading in 38 out of 50 wards, followed by the UDM with 18.7%.
The second metro to complete its counting was Mangaung, which ended with a hairline split between the ANC and the DA. The ANC ended on top with 33.9% of the vote, compared with the DA’s 33.5%.
Across the remaining metros, Nelson Mandela Bay is nearing completion at 98%, with the DA set to be the clear leader.
The party is also leading in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, making a full sweep of Gauteng’s metros.
It maintains an outright majority in Cape Town.
The key outlier is eThekwini, where Jacob Zuma’s MK Party holds its lead and is expected to trounce the ANC – but again, with no majority mandate.
The overall picture for South Africa is little changed from the numbers reported earlier in the day, with vote counts at 50% and 75%, and broadly aligns with early predictions from the CSIR.
The ANC leads overall with 31.2% of the vote, followed by the DA at 24.4%.
While the ANC is still the leading party in the country, its losses have been laid bare for all to see, with the party losing majorities and dominant control in the metros.
The ANC was not alone in losing, with EFF support also diminishing.
In the vacuum left by the ANC, the DA has made strong gains, while smaller parties like ActionSA have risen to be contenders in key metros.
While ActionSA’s national presence is relatively small, the party has become the main opposition to the DA in Tshwane, has increased its support in Ekurhuleni, and has maintained its sizeable presence in Joburg.
Crucially, the final impact of the vote and ward outcomes will be reflected in council seats, which could shape the parties’ real power to negotiate.
And negotiation will be necessary, as a multitude of hung councils will force political opponents to come together and 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.
South Africa at 95%
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