South Africa · Local Elections
Published Saturday, 7 November, 11:47 a.m. ET (6:47 p.m. Johannesburg) · Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC); Polymarket
Key Facts
- The ruling. The election commission upheld 2 of 197 objections and ordered recounts in five wards.
- The delay. Final results now come Sunday, 8 November, at 11 a.m. ET (6 p.m. Johannesburg).
- The count. About 99% counted: African National Congress (ANC) near 31%, Democratic Alliance (DA) between 24% and 25%.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket, a prediction market, gives Helen Zille 53.5% to be Johannesburg’s next mayor (US$148,769 traded, 11:46 a.m. ET, 7 Nov).
South Africa’s election count is almost finished, but the final answer has to wait one more day. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the independent body that runs the country’s elections, said on Saturday that it has upheld two objections and ordered recounts in five wards.
It moved its final announcement to Sunday, 8 November, at 6 p.m. in Johannesburg, which is 11 a.m. ET. Until then, results remain provisional, IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya told reporters.
In plain English
South Africans voted on Wednesday, 4 November, for the councils that run their cities and towns. Parties can formally object to how votes were handled, and the commission must rule on each objection before it can declare a final result.
Two of 197 Objections Succeeded
By 3 p.m. on Saturday in Johannesburg (8 a.m. ET), the commission had received 197 objections. It dismissed 54, parties withdrew eight, and it upheld two.
The rest were still being decided. Moepya said the two upheld objections were material to the outcome of the result.
Recounts were ordered in five wards, the local voting areas that each elect one councillor. IEC staff carry them out while party agents watch.
Why the Count Is Not Final Yet
A provisional result is the commission’s running tally, and it is not binding until the commission declares it. Moepya said seats assigned in the provisional results may change once every objection is settled.
Before a declaration, the commission can exclude votes from a voting station or adjust a party’s or candidate’s votes. After it, results can be amended only as the law allows, and serious irregularities can go to the Electoral Court, the specialist court for election disputes.
Counting stood at about 99% nationally on Saturday afternoon. The ANC, which has governed South Africa since 1994, led with about 31%, and the DA, its partner in the national coalition government, followed with between 24% and 25%.
Three Provinces Were Still Processing
Processing was finished in the Free State, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Rustenburg in North West, and Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) and eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal were still outstanding.
Moepya said the commission expected to finish processing on Saturday evening. In eThekwini, the municipality around Durban, former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has already asked for a delay.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a platform where users bet real money on outcomes, prices Helen Zille, a former Western Cape premier, at 53.5% to become Johannesburg’s next mayor. Herman Mashaba, a former Johannesburg mayor, is at 22.1%, with US$148,769 traded as of 11:46 a.m. ET, 7 Nov.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
Johannesburg is South Africa’s biggest city and its business capital, so a late count there pushes back coalition bargaining over who runs it. Our earlier report explains why many councils are split, and why those talks matter for investors watching the rand.
The Sunday declaration at 11 a.m. ET would confirm the provisional order unless an objection or recount changes it. The commission has already faced a wave of complaints.
More coverage sits in our South Africa section.
What Is Not Known
The commission’s official notice listing the five recount wards was not available, and reports disagree on which wards they are. We therefore do not publish a list.
It is not clear whether the recounts will change any seat. Tallies from different moments also differ by fractions of a percentage point, probably because they were taken at different times.
Whether any party will take the result to the Electoral Court is unknown. The outcome of the remaining objections will not be clear before Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many objections has the IEC upheld?
Two of the 197 it had received by 3 p.m. Saturday in Johannesburg (8 a.m. ET). It dismissed 54, parties withdrew eight, and the rest were still pending.
When will South Africa's final local election result come?
The IEC says Sunday, 8 November, at 6 p.m. in Johannesburg, which is 11 a.m. ET. Results stay provisional until every objection is decided.
Sources: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), briefing of 7 November 2026; Polymarket, Next Mayor of Johannesburg.
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