DA leads in five South African metros after local elections
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
The Democratic Alliance led in five of South Africa’s eight metros after the 2026 local elections. No party secured an outright majority in seven metros, while 14.9 million voters cast ballots, a 52% turnout, according to IOL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s opposition party, led in five of the eight metros in the 2026 local elections, in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay. The ANC remains the leading party nationally with 30.76% of the vote, ahead of the DA with 24.64%, according to IOL.
Nearly 14.9 million South Africans voted, a turnout of 52%, compared with 45.9% in 2021. No party secured an outright majority in seven of the eight metros, opening the way for coalition negotiations in several major cities, IOL reports.
In Johannesburg, the DA won 34.8% of the vote, compared with 20.3% for the ANC and 16.3% for ActionSA. In the 270-seat municipal council, the DA provisionally holds 91 seats and ActionSA 43, while 136 are needed for a majority. The DA also led in Cape Town, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay, while the ANC dominates Buffalo City and Mangaung and the MK Party eThekwini, according to IOL.
