ANC records worst-ever result in South Africa's local elections but still comes first

Summary

South Africa's African National Congress, the party of the late Nelson Mandela, came first in the local elections but suffered its worst-ever electoral setback. Al Jazeera reports that with 99 percent of votes counted, the party led by President Cyril Ramaphosa won 31 percent nationally. Deutsche Welle reports that near-final results showed the once-dominant party heading for its lowest-ever vote percentage, with voters blaming the ANC for water and electricity shortages and other shoddy municipal services. Africanews reports that final results released on Saturday confirmed the all-time election low.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   8 Nov 2026, 12:19 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that with 99 percent of votes counted, President Cyril Ramaphosa's party won 31 percent nationally in South Africa's local elections.

2. Africanews

   8 Nov 2026, 14:07 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that the ANC came first in South Africa's local elections but recorded its worst-ever electoral setback, according to final results released on Saturday.

3. Deutsche Welle

   8 Nov 2026, 17:35 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that near-final results from South Africa's local elections show the ANC heading for its lowest-ever vote percentage, with voters blaming the party for water and electricity shortages and other shoddy municipal services.