South Africa's local election count: ANC and DA almost level in early results
With about one in six voting districts counted, the two biggest parties are each on roughly 31-32%. Final results are due by the weekend.
Johannesburg — Counting from Wednesday's local government elections in South Africa shows the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance running almost neck and neck in the early national tally.
With about 16% of the country's 23,696 voting districts counted by early Thursday, the ANC had 32.0% of the proportional representation vote and the DA 31.2%, according to Electoral Commission (IEC) results. Behind them were the MK Party on 5.2%, the EFF on 5.0%, the Freedom Front Plus on 4.5% and the Patriotic Alliance on 4.4%.
These figures will move. Most districts in the big metros, including Johannesburg, and much of KwaZulu-Natal had not yet reported. Early counts showed the DA ahead in the Western Cape and Gauteng, and the ANC ahead in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Counted where they were cast
About 12 million people had voted by 5pm on Wednesday, IEC chief executive Sy Mamabolo said, with Gauteng recording the most votes, about three million. Ballots are counted at each voting station in front of party agents and observers. The IEC put turnout at about 51.5% so far.
Mamabolo said voting had gone well despite isolated incidents, and that fewer than 1% of municipalities had stations that opened late. The final count is expected by the weekend, after which councils with no outright majority will move to coalition talks.
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa, Mail & Guardian, Reuters via US News, November 2026.
