South Africa: Parties Await Final Election Results

What the report says

Political parties in South Africa were waiting for the final outcome of the 2026 local government elections as the Electoral Commission of South Africa prepared to announce the results at 6 p.m. at its National Results Operations Centre. According to SAnews.gov.za, the process had been under close watch for several days by party representatives, journalists and other stakeholders at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.

The article says voters cast ballots on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, to choose municipal council representatives, with special votes taken on 2 and 3 November. Since polls closed, the results centre has remained busy as counting and capturing continued and party agents tracked the live leaderboard to gauge their parties’ performance.

The announcement was expected to settle the political picture in municipalities across the country for the next five years. Some parties were anticipating gains and the chance to begin implementing campaign promises, while others faced the prospect of disappointing returns and strategic reassessment.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was due to attend the ceremony and make brief remarks, the Presidency said. The report places the release of results as the next major step after the election period, marking the formal conclusion of a process closely followed by political leaders and the public.