ANC Crashes to 31% in South Africa Local Vote, Its Worst Result Ever

The African National Congress won 31% of the overall vote, tumbling from 46% in 2021 and a distant memory of the 65% it pulled 20 years ago. It still finished first nationally, but its map has shrunk dramatically: a majority in just one of nine provinces, Limpopo, versus six last time, and top spot in only two of eight cities, down from six.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula didn't sugarcoat it. Get access to the rest of this article by signing up for a free account. Already have an account? Log in. Hmm — but I must not include that line; the source is the BBC piece, not a paywalled page. Let me continue with the actual source content.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who leads the ANC, arrived at the count centre Sunday night and accepted the verdict. He is due to stay on as head of state until the 2029 national elections, though the party picks a new leader next year and few candidates are queuing up to replace him in either job.

The Democratic Alliance took 25% overall and held Cape Town, but its share barely moved from 22% in 2021 and sits below its 27% in 2016. Jacob Zuma's MK party grabbed 10% and knocked the ANC out of first place in Durban, while Julius Malema's EFF slid to fourth with 6%.

Turnout hit 52%, up from 46% in 2021, when Covid-era rules were in force. Political analyst Susan Booysen pointed to poor service delivery and crumbling infrastructure — water, power, sanitation — as the driver, calling it a severe decline in ANC support at municipal, metro, provincial and national level.

Analyst William Gumede framed it as a closing chapter. He said the ANC could be the second-biggest party by 2029 and warned of possible infighting, describing the shift toward DA support among black voters as a move to post-racial voting. Parties now have 14 days from the announcement of results to negotiate coalitions, with the three Gauteng metros — Johannesburg and Pretoria among them — under the microscope.