{
  "id": 18347646,
  "title": "ANC braces for lowest ever vote share with half of ballots counted",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/anc-braces-for-lowest-ever-vote-share-with-half-of-ballots-counted",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-05T16:32:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Africa Business",
    "slug": "africa-business",
    "url": "https://african.business/2026/11/politics/anc-braces-for-lowest-ever-vote-share-with-half-of-ballots-counted"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The African National Congress (ANC) is bracing for its lowest ever vote share in municipal elections as half of the ballots have been counted. According to the South African Electoral Commission, the ruling party holds 31.75% of the national vote, a significant drop of over 13% from its worst-ever performance of 45.59% in the 2021 municipal elections. If this trend continues, the ANC will likely lose its political monopoly, which has persisted since South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with issues such as service delivery, corruption, and sluggish economic growth, leading them to consider alternative political options.\n\nAnalysts predict a complex web of coalition negotiations between parties scrambling to form local administrations, mirroring the fragmentation observed at the national level. The Democratic Alliance (DA), currently leading in Johannesburg and Tshwane, stands to benefit from the political realignment. The party has secured 26.33% of the national vote, compared to its 21.62% in 2021. ActionSA, led by former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashabe, could also play a crucial role as a potential kingmaker in major urban areas. The MK Party, founded by former president Jacob Zuma, continues to garner support in Kwa-Zulu Natal, with 7.86% of the national vote counted.\n\nNotably, the DA is expected to be the largest party in Johannesburg, the country's most populous city and economic hub. Former Johannesburg mayor Helen Zille, now leading the DA, aims to govern the city under her leadership. She expressed the need to negotiate a government that can deliver and meet the challenges the city faces. The DA is also projected to be the biggest party in the City of Tshwane, which includes Pretoria, with 35.79% of the vote, ahead of ActionSA at 22.2% and the ANC at 19.23%. Multiple coalition scenarios are possible, with the DA and ActionSA potentially forming an administration without the ANC's involvement. However, this could clash with the Government of National Unity's composition at the national level, raising questions about national cohesiveness.",
  "summary": "With half of votes counted the ANC is on track for its worst municipal election results ever, as opposition parties hoover up urban support.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}