Here are the final 2026 local government election results for SA’s eight metros

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) revealed the final 2026 local government election results for the nation's eight metros on Sunday. The African National Congress (ANC) maintained its overall popularity, securing top spots in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Nelson Mandela Bay. However, the party fell short of achieving a dominant position in Durban, where the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party emerged as the most popular.

In Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) fell short of an outright majority, with ActionSA and the ANC forming significant coalition decisions. DA received 34.79% of the votes, followed by the ANC with 20.25% and ActionSA with 16.27%. The EFF secured 6.52% of the votes, while the MK party garnered 5.57%.

Tshwane saw the DA once again gaining a substantial portion of the voter share, but with ActionSA and the ANC securing enough votes to reinstate Nasiphi Moya's previous administration with the assistance of smaller partners. DA received 34.37%, followed by ActionSA with 22.07% and the ANC with 20.22%.

In Ekurhuleni, voters favored the DA, with the ANC and ActionSA closely trailing behind. DA received 30.68%, followed by the ANC with 22.11% and ActionSA with 18.5%. The MK party gained 7.02% of the votes, and the EFF secured 6.49%.

Cape Town's DA won a comfortable victory, coming in at 56.42% of the votes. The ANC secured the second most popular party spot with 13.95%, followed by several parties that garnered between 3.77% and 0.58% of the votes. The EFF received 3.73%, while FF+ received 3.42%.

In eThekwini, the MK party fell short of the majority they desired, potentially facing a repeat of national and provincial elections where they were denied power by a unified opposition coalition. MK received 38.29%, followed by the DA with 25.45% and the ANC with 16.43%.

In Mangaung, the ANC secured its second metro win by a whisker and could still retain the council by pooling together seats of previous coalition partners. The ANC received 33.91%, followed by the DA with 33.49%, and the EFF with 8.59%.

The DA emerged as the closest party to securing a 50% majority in Nelson Mandela Bay, needing only a handful of coalition partners to do so. DA received 44.17%, followed by the ANC with 25.48%, and the EFF with 5.55%.

Finally, in Buffalo City, the ANC made strong strides in the Eastern Cape stronghold, while the UDM mayoral candidate Nqabayomzi Kwankwa hinted at the voters' desire for change, suggesting that the ANC may not be a viable coalition option. The ANC received 41.93%, with the UDM receiving 18.39%, the DA with 16.85%, the EFF with 6.79%, and the SACP with 4.45%.