Nobody in charge: 81 of 115 finished councils hung, at 75% counted
The story behind our film on the 2026 local elections, from the IEC’s results by 11am on 6 November: hung councils against 2021, the shift in the same councils, the metros, the record wards and what comes next. Not the final result.
By Unmapped News · · Film, 3 min
- Film3 min, in this story. Also on TikTok.
- NumbersWorked out by code from official files. See the sources.
- CheckedAgainst the source, by a person, before it was published. Our standards.
Everything in the film is in the story below, with the numbers and their sources.
By 11am on 6 November, 115 of South Africa's 213 councils had finished counting. 81 of them have no party with a majority. In 2021, those same councils had 37. Most of them will now need a coalition to choose a mayor.
- 81Of 115 finished councils with no majority
- 37The same councils in 2021
- 75%Of voting districts counted
Like for like
The count isn't over, so the fair comparison is between councils that have finished counting and the same councils in 2021. In those councils, the ANC fell from 49% of the vote to 35%. The DA rose from 20% to 23%, and the EFF fell from 9% to 5%. Two parties weren't on these ballots in 2021: MK, now on 11%, and the Communist Party, standing on its own.
The vote in the 115 finished councils, 2021 and 2026
Show the numbers
| 2026, so far | 2021 | Change (points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 35% | 49% | −14 points |
| DA | 23% | 20% | +3 points |
| EFF | 5% | 9% | −4 points |
| IFP | 4% | 5% | −1 points |
| FF Plus | 3% | 3% | +1 points |
| Patriotic Alliance | 5% | 2% | +3 points |
KwaZulu-Natal
In KwaZulu-Natal, MK is now the biggest party in 13 of the 18 finished councils. In 2021, the ANC was the biggest in every one of them. In eThekwini, with 44% counted, MK was ahead on 42%.
The big cities
In the metros the count is slower. By 11am, the DA was ahead in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Mangaung: four metros the ANC led in 2021. Even in Buffalo City, which the ANC won with 59% last time, it was on 42%.
| Metro | Counted | Ahead so far | Won in 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo City | 98% | ANC, 42% | ANC, 59% |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | 84% | DA, 45% | DA, 40% |
| Mangaung | 75% | DA, 36% | ANC, 51% |
| Ekurhuleni | 62% | DA, 30% | ANC, 38% |
| Johannesburg | 48% | DA, 40% | ANC, 34% |
| Tshwane | 69% | DA, 32% | ANC, 35% |
| eThekwini | 44% | MK, 42% | ANC, 42% |
| Cape Town | 56% | DA, 62% | DA, 58% |
Record wards
The biggest win so far: the DA, with 93%, in ward 15 of uMdoni. The ANC's best was 91%, in Intsika Yethu; MK's, 73% in Richmond.
And in ward 15 of Buffalo City, the DA and the EFF were tied, on 1,714 votes each, with the ANC 22 behind. It was one of 3 wards tied at that point.
What comes next
A hung council can't pass a budget alone: the Constitution needs a majority of all its councillors. So parties will have to build coalitions, in 81 councils and counting. And by law, each new council must meet within 14 days of the declaration.
Then there's Gauteng. Since 2000, the ANC has come first in every local election there. This time, with 60% counted, the DA was ahead: 34% to the ANC's 22%, with ActionSA third. If that holds, it's a first.
| Gauteng | ANC | DA |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 59% | 32% |
| 2006 | 62% | 27% |
| 2011 | 60% | 33% |
| 2016 | 46% | 37% |
| 2021 | 36% | 29% |
| 2026, 60% counted | 22% | 34% |
Follow every council and ward as the results come in, on our live tracker.
