SOUTH AFRICA · LOCAL ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- Where Mangaung, the metropolitan council around Bloemfontein in South Africa’s Free State province.
- Result ANC 33.91 percent and 36 seats; DA 33.48 percent and 33 seats, with all districts counted.
- Margin The ANC leads by 1,924 votes, or 0.43 percentage points.
- Change In 2021 the ANC won 50.63 percent and a majority; the DA won 25.73 percent.
- Next step A governing majority needs 51 of 101 seats, so coalition talks decide the mayor.
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) narrowly leads the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mangaung metro vote, with 33.91 percent against 33.48 percent. Mangaung is the metropolitan council around Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province, and neither party holds a majority.
The gap is 1,924 votes out of about 449,000 ballots (ward and proportional ballots added together), the Electoral Commission’s results dashboard showed on Friday evening, 6 November 2026. For US readers, the near-tie matters because small parties now decide who runs a metro with about 414,000 registered voters.
What the Electoral Commission Counted
The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the body that runs elections, showed all 388 voting districts and all 51 wards in Mangaung counted. The ANC won 152,152 votes and 36 of the 101 council seats, while the DA won 150,228 votes and 33 seats.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party, took 8.59 percent and nine seats. The Freedom Front Plus, a conservative party that mainly represents Afrikaner voters, took 5.92 percent and six seats.
Why the Lead Changed During the Day
Partial counts earlier on Friday had the DA narrowly ahead, by 0.24 points, with both parties near 36 percent. The finished count reverses that order, with the ANC ahead by 0.43 points.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis told reporters at the IEC’s national results centre that Mangaung remained too close to call. His party expects to be the largest in five other metros, including Johannesburg and Tshwane.
How Mangaung Voted in 2021
In 2021 the ANC won 177,772 votes, or 50.63 percent, and 51 of the 101 seats, which was a bare majority. The DA won 90,339 votes, or 25.73 percent, and 26 seats.
Since then the ANC has lost 25,620 votes in Mangaung, and the DA has gained 59,889. The EFF fell from 11.31 percent in 2021 to 8.59 percent now.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The ANC has governed South Africa since 1994 and is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The DA is a centre-right opposition party that also sits in the national unity government.
A metro is a big city council that runs water, power and roads. Councillors choose the mayor, and a party needs more than half of the 101 seats, which means 51, to govern alone.
What It Means for You
The ANC needs 15 more seats to govern and the DA 18 more, so the EFF and smaller parties hold the balance. Coalitions in other South African cities have proved unstable, which can slow budgets and service contracts.
Investors who hold South African stocks or bonds through US funds should watch these talks, because the same pattern now appears across the country. Read our reports on Johannesburg and Tshwane, on South Africa’s split councils and on how coalitions work.
What Is Not Known
Who will become mayor of Mangaung is not known. The parties can answer after the IEC declares official results, which are expected on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Whether the figures change before that declaration is not known. The IEC can answer when it publishes its final tallies, and any objections it upholds could change the numbers.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Mangaung?
The ANC finished first with 33.91 percent, ahead of the DA at 33.48 percent. Neither party reached the 51 seats needed to govern alone.
Where is Mangaung?
Mangaung is a metropolitan council in South Africa’s Free State province. It includes the city of Bloemfontein.
How close was the vote?
The ANC led by 1,924 votes, or 0.43 percentage points. Earlier partial counts had put the DA slightly ahead.
Are the results final?
These figures come from the Electoral Commission’s dashboard on 6 November 2026. Official results are expected on Sunday 8 November, so numbers may change.
Sources: Electoral Commission of South Africa, local election results dashboard, Mangaung, 6 November 2026; Electoral Commission of South Africa, 2021 local election results, Mangaung, 2021 data.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief