As South Africans cast ballots for local councils Wednesday, the African National Congress (ANC) faced a test of its support in a vote that will shape oversight of water, electricity and sanitation.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said 136,790 candidates are competing for 10,526 seats in metropolitan, district and local councils. Residents and businesses depend on the services those councils oversee.
The ANC won 45.59% of combined ward and proportional-representation valid votes in the 2021 municipal election, when turnout was 45.87% of registered voters. In the separate 2024 national election, it received 40.18% of the national ballot and lost its parliamentary majority.
An Ipsos survey conducted from Sept. 12 to Oct. 13 covered 3,600 adults, including a sample of 2,533 registered voters. It found weaker ANC support than in the previous municipal election. Ipsos said the survey captured views during the campaign and was not a forecast of the result.
In Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) was marginally ahead of the ANC in the survey. Its lead in Tshwane was 3 percentage points, while the MK party ranked first in eThekwini, which includes Durban. Those findings do not establish which parties will control the councils.
In a Nov. 2 letter, President Cyril Ramaphosa linked the way municipalities are structured to opportunities for corruption and patronage. He proposed directing revenue from water and electricity sales toward infrastructure maintenance.
Ipsos political analyst Mari Harris expects coalition governments in most metropolitan councils. Voting stations are scheduled to close at 2 p.m. ET (19:00 UTC). The count will establish each council’s seat balance and show where parties may need to negotiate a governing coalition.
