SOUTH AFRICA · LOCAL ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- The metro Ekurhuleni is the industrial city east of Johannesburg, home of the country’s main international airport.
- The count At 47% counted, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has 32.51% and the African National Congress (ANC) 20.91%.
- The surge ActionSA, founded by Herman Mashaba, a former Johannesburg mayor, has 17.56%, up from 6.6% in 2021.
- In 2021 The ANC won 38.19% and 86 of 224 seats in 2021; the DA won 28.72% and 65 seats.
- Still open Only 7 of 224 seats are decided, and no party is near the 113 needed for control.
Ekurhuleni, a metro of about four million people east of Johannesburg, looks set for a coalition council after the local elections. The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party, leads with 32.51% against 20.91% for the African National Congress (ANC).
These figures cover 47% of voting districts counted by 9 p.m. on Thursday, 5 November 2026, says the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). ActionSA, a newer party, has jumped to third place on 17.56%.
What the Count Shows in Ekurhuleni
Of the metro’s 653 voting districts, 307 had reported at about 9 p.m., or 47%. The DA has 237,562 votes, the ANC 152,820 and ActionSA 128,287.
MK, the party of former president Jacob Zuma, is fourth with 6.62%. The Freedom Front Plus has 6.33% and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) 5.74%.
Only seven of the metro’s 224 council seats have been declared so far, all from ward contests. Half the seats are won in 112 wards and half are shared out by party-list votes, so most seats are allocated only when counting ends.
How the Picture Changed Since 2021
In 2021 the ANC won 38.19% of the vote in Ekurhuleni and 86 of 224 seats, the largest group but short of a majority. The DA took 28.72% and 65 seats.
The EFF, a left-wing party led by Julius Malema, won 13.47% and 31 seats, and ActionSA, then new, took 6.6% and 15 seats. The Freedom Front Plus, a conservative party that defends minority rights, mainly of Afrikaners, won 3.33% and eight seats.
Since then the metro has been run by shifting coalitions, with control passing between ANC-led and DA-led arrangements. Our earlier report on Ekurhuleni’s toilet tenders covered one procurement controversy in the metro.
ActionSA’s Jump and the Wider Gauteng Picture
ActionSA has more than doubled its 2021 share, from 6.6% to 17.56% on the votes counted so far. It was founded in 2020 by Herman Mashaba, a businessman and former mayor of Johannesburg.
The ANC is down about 17 points since 2021, from 38.19% to 20.91%, though the count is incomplete. The final order and the seat totals can still shift.
The DA also leads the early counts in Johannesburg, with 33% of districts in, and in Tshwane, with 50% in. Our report on Johannesburg’s pay deal before the vote covers the city’s election-eve politics.
Projection Versus Result
The IEC does not project winners; it publishes counts and then declares results council by council. Early counts show the DA ahead, but they are not final results.
Which districts report first can change the picture, because voters in different parts of a metro can lean to different parties. Until all 653 districts report, the order of the top three parties could change.
Who Governs Next
With 224 seats, a party needs 113 to govern alone, and none is close. On vote shares alone, the DA with ActionSA and the Freedom Front Plus would pass half, and so would the DA with the ANC.
Coalition talks usually take weeks. The mayor and speaker are elected at the first sitting after final results, as our guide to South Africa’s coalition politics explains.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The DA is a partner in the national coalition government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC. The ANC governed South Africa alone from 1994 until it lost its national majority in 2024.
A hung council is one where no party holds half the seats. Partners then trade support for posts such as mayor and speaker.
What It Means for You
Ekurhuleni includes OR Tambo International Airport, the main gateway for US travelers to South Africa, and much of Gauteng’s industrial belt. A stable council matters for the electricity, water and road services that firms and travelers depend on.
A drawn-out coalition fight would add risk for companies that operate in the metro. US investors in South African mining shares, banks and the rand watch Gauteng closely, because it is the country’s largest provincial economy.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how the 346 uncounted voting districts will vote, or which parts of the metro they cover. The IEC has not declared final results or seat totals for Ekurhuleni.
It is also not known which parties will govern together, who will become mayor, or whether any party will contest the count. Voting took place on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, as our voting-day report explains.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Leading in Ekurhuleni?
The DA leads with 32.51% after 47% of voting districts were counted by 9 p.m. on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The ANC is second on 20.91% and ActionSA third on 17.56%.
What Is Ekurhuleni?
Ekurhuleni is a metro of about four million people east of Johannesburg in Gauteng province. It includes Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni and OR Tambo International Airport.
Has the ANC Lost Ekurhuleni?
Not officially. The count is incomplete, and the IEC has not declared final results or seat totals for the metro.
How Is the Mayor Chosen?
Council members elect the mayor at the first sitting after final results are declared. With no party near a majority, coalition talks will decide the vote.
Sources: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), 2026 municipal election results, Ekurhuleni, 5 November 2026; Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), 2021 municipal election results, Ekurhuleni, 2021.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error