South African municipal elections: 139 of 257 councils lack an outright majority
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on SABC News
South Africa’s 2026 local elections produced 139 councils without an outright majority out of 257 municipalities, according to SABC News, making coalitions the norm. Parties have 14 days to name mayors and council chairs, a timetable that raises the question of who really runs the municipalities.
In South Africa, the municipal elections of 4 November 2026 produced 139 municipal councils out of 257 without an outright majority, according to SABC News. No party won 50% of the seats plus one in these councils, which therefore must reach agreement to govern.
According to Terry Tselane, chairperson of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa, the council must first elect its speaker and its mayor, who then chooses the members of the executive. Where no party holds a majority, no party can govern alone without the support of other parties.
The law sets a 14-day deadline for each council’s first meeting. Political analyst Nkosikhulule Nyembezi considers this deadline urgent and notes that some municipalities are already advancing in their discussions.
On 6 November, 110 South African councils without a majority had already been recorded. Meanwhile, the ANC (African National Congress) is negotiating coalitions with other parties.
