South Africa: ANC Losing Wall-to-Wall Support As ActionSA, DA Show Growth

What the report says

Vote counting in South Africa’s 2026 local government elections was still underway on Nov. 5, with the results process at 24% nationally, and early indications suggested a difficult showing for the African National Congress (ANC), according to AllAfrica’s republished Daily Maverick report. The article said the party appeared to be losing support not only in major cities but also in rural areas and towns that had long been strongholds.

The report highlighted several places where the ANC was under pressure, including possible losses in Mpumalanga’s Thaba Chweu and Victor Khanye municipalities, as well as in Endumeni and Impendle in KwaZulu-Natal. In the Eastern Cape, Inxuba Yethemba was cited as a municipality that could fall to a Democratic Alliance-led coalition. The piece also said the ANC was suffering significant losses in Gauteng, including in Lesedi, Mogale City and Emfuleni, and faced risks in wards across Soweto, Atteridgeville, Soshanguve and Tembisa.

The article framed the trends as part of a wider shift in local politics, with ActionSA and the DA showing growth while the ANC’s support appeared to be weakening. It also noted that election models from the CSIR were pointing to broader declines for the MK party and the EFF at national level. The developments matter because local election results can reshape municipal control, coalition bargaining and service-delivery priorities across South Africa.