ANC suffers major setback in South Africa’s local elections as coalition talks loom

The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's governing party, experienced a historic electoral defeat in local elections held on November 7, 2023, according to official results. The party's share of the national vote dropped to 30.95%, marking its steepest decline since independence. This substantial loss has resulted in the ANC losing its majority in six out of eight metropolitan municipalities.

With 98% of ballots counted, the Democratic Alliance (DA) emerged as the second-largest party nationwide, securing 24.56% of the vote. Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party came in third with 9.62% of the vote, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in fourth place with 6.26%.

In the capital city Pretoria and Johannesburg, the DA established a clear lead and is expected to form local governing coalitions without the ANC. In KwaZulu-Natal, the MK Party is leading, but eThekwini (Durban) and Msunduzi are heading for hung councils, indicating the need for coalition talks in several major cities.

This electoral setback marks the party's decline from a dominant political force that ruled South Africa for over three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994. The ANC's dominance took a hit in the 2021 local government elections, where it secured 46% of the vote, falling to just over 40% in the 2024 general election. Following the 2024 parliamentary vote, the ANC formed a broad coalition government to address ongoing economic challenges.