South African Municipal Elections: ANC Wins 31.78%, Its Worst-Ever Election Result

With 80% of ballots counted in South Africa’s municipal elections, the ANC received 31.78% of the vote, its lowest result since 1994. The party led by Cyril Ramaphosa had already lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national elections, taking 40% of the vote. The Democratic Alliance won 24.22% and was provisionally leading in six of the country’s eight major metropolitan areas, where it will need coalition partners to govern. In Cape Town, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis claimed victory, while final results were still pending.