ANC retained its position as South Africa’s largest party in the 2026 local government elections, winning 30.76% of the vote. The result, announced by the Electoral Commission on Sunday, reflects a decline of more than 14 percentage points from the 2021 local elections, according to a report by Xinhua.
The Johannesburg‑based news agency reported that the African National Congress’ loss of support is the sharpest in a decade, yet the party still holds the most seats in local councils across the country. The final figures released by the Electoral Commission confirm that the ANC remains the single largest political force in South Africa’s municipal landscape.
While the party’s share of the vote has contracted significantly, the updated data indicate that its representation in local councils has not fallen below other major parties. The Electoral Commission’s figures show that the ANC still commands the highest number of council seats, a fact that underscores the party’s resilience despite the erosion of voter confidence.
Xinhua’s coverage notes that the 30.76% vote share places the ANC above the next most‑favourable party, allowing it to maintain influence over the allocation of council positions and municipal governance. The agency highlighted that the large drop in support may signal shifting attitudes among the electorate, particularly in urban areas where turnout and demands for reform are rising.
According to the Electoral Commission’s official release, the ANC’s sustained status as the largest party ensures that it will continue to play a decisive role in forming local government coalitions, even as opposition parties increase their share of the vote. The announcement underscores the complex relationship between vote share and seat allocation in South Africa’s proportional representation system.
Given that the report only states the ANC’s continued pre‑eminence and the degree of its decline, the underlying causes of the drop and the impact on future electoral prospects remain open questions. The data do not explain whether internal party dynamics, policy positions, or service delivery performance contributed to the reduced support, nor do they predict how the ANC will respond to the loss of voter confidence. Future elections will determine whether the party can regain its former level of dominance or whether the trend of decreasing vote share will persist.
