South Africa votes for its councils on Wednesday after two days of special voting
Almost 137,000 candidates from 546 parties are standing for just over 10,500 council seats.
Johannesburg — South Africans go to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November, to elect the councils that run their cities, towns and rural municipalities. Special voting for people who cannot reach a voting station on the day took place on Monday and Tuesday.
The election in numbers
- Parties: 546 are contesting.
- Candidates: almost 137,000, for just over 10,500 council seats.
- Special votes: 2.6 million approved, including more than 600,000 home visits. Women account for 74% of approved special votes.
- Officials: about 188,500 recruited by the Electoral Commission (IEC).
What voters need to know
Voting stations open from 7am to 9pm. In municipal elections, people must vote at the station where they are registered. Voters can check their details on the IEC website, by sending their 13-digit ID number by SMS to 32810, or by sending "Hi" to the IEC's WhatsApp number, 060 088 0000. No electronic voting is used.
The IEC has partnered with Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and Moxii Africa to counter disinformation during the campaign. Analysts say legal challenges after the results, rather than voting day itself, are the commission's main risk.
Sources: SAnews, TimesLIVE, Mail & Guardian, November 2026.
