110 hung councils as SA wakes to a coalition country — metros still unsettled

Update, 07:48 Africa/Johannesburg: A later IEC national file (ReportDate 06:39) uses the IEC progress label of 97% of votes counted and 122 hung councils. See our SA local election results 2026 hub for sourced charts and metro tables. The figures below remain the Friday-night board as reported.

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa woke on Saturday to a municipal map redrawn by hung councils. With about 95% of the national vote counted on Friday night, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) dashboard showed 110 municipal councils without an outright winner, Hope Ntanzi reported for IOL, setting off a scramble for coalition pacts across the country.

On the national PR tally IOL cited from the IEC board, the ANC sat on about 31.22% with 8,464,323 votes, outright control of 44 councils and 2,753 seats. The Democratic Alliance was second on about 24.43% with 6,615,253 votes, 11 outright councils and 1,204 seats. uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) took third on about 9.61% with 2,602,676 votes, three outright councils and 614 seats. Among other parties, IOL listed the EFF at about 6.2% with 359 seats, ActionSA at about 5.29% with 125 seats, the IFP at about 4.91% with 417 seats and five outright councils, and the SACP at about 2.41% with 186 seats. Live figures remain on the IEC results dashboard.

KwaZulu-Natal and the metros

In KwaZulu-Natal, IOL said MK led the province on 34.6%, the IFP was second on 21.37%, and the ANC was third on 20.83%, with 28 of the province’s 44 councils hung. The Citizen’s Jarryd Westerdale, writing about 8pm Friday and noting percentages were still subject to change, sketched the eight metros: Johannesburg DA 38.8% / ANC 18.21% / ActionSA 15.81% with 70% counted; Tshwane DA 33.13% / ActionSA 22.79% / ANC 21.08%; Ekurhuleni DA 30.77% / ANC 21.72% / ActionSA 18.75%; Cape Town DA 58.84% — the clearest majority path among the metros; eThekwini MK 40.31% / DA 23.69% / ANC 16.83% with about 30% still to go then; Mangaung ANC 33.86% / DA 33.71% at about 99%; Nelson Mandela Bay DA 44.39% / ANC 25.47%; and Buffalo City, fully declared, ANC 41.94% / UDM 18.39% / DA 16.85%.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, Financial Mail / The South Africa Brief said that of 140 councils already declared, 87 (62%) were hung, that seven of the eight metros were expected to need coalitions, and that the official IEC declaration was set for Sunday evening. AB24 has tracked the count since polling day — see our earlier reports on the ANC–DA neck-and-neck count, polling day and record special votes.

Analysts: a fractured coalition country

Oxford Economics Africa senior political analyst Louw Nel told IOL the ANC was “performing worse than expected, and expectations were already low,” calling a slide toward about 32% the party’s “worst nightmare coming true.” He warned that national leaders and regional structures may clash over who decides coalition deals. Political analyst and activist Dale McKinley told IOL the fragmentation across 110 councils reflected a “profound, irreversible alienation of the working class from the ruling elite.” Dr Oscar van Heerden told IOL that heavy urban losses could spill beyond local councils into national stability.

AB24’s reading from Johannesburg: the story has already moved from who won wards to who can stitch councils together before the IEC’s Sunday evening declaration. Watch Metro seats still being verified — especially eThekwini and the Gauteng three — and the first public coalition frameworks from ANC, DA, MK, IFP and ActionSA.

Sources: IOL / Hope Ntanzi, 6 Nov 2026; The Citizen / Jarryd Westerdale, 6 Nov 2026; Financial Mail / South Africa Brief, 6 Nov 2026; IEC LGE results dashboard.

— AB24 · Johannesburg