ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots counted

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   ANC Faces Historic Slump in South African Local Elections

   South Africa's ruling African National Congress faces a severe decline in voter support during local elections as the municipal vote count enters its final stretch. Over 15.9 million South Africans participated in the vote, driven by widespread service delivery concerns. Early tallies placed the African National Congress at 32% and the Democratic Alliance at 24%, signaling what observers describe as the party's worst-ever election result. City coalition battles loom as final numbers come into sight.

   Why it matters

   Founded in 1912, the African National Congress has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. The sharp slump in voter support reflects deep public frustration over ongoing municipal service delivery failures. These municipal election results point toward complex coalition negotiations for control of major cities.

   What is confirmed

   • Over 15.9 million South Africans voted in the municipal elections.
   • The African National Congress stood at 32% and the Democratic Alliance at 24% as the vote count entered its final stretch.
   • Service delivery woes fueled voter turnout and shaped coalition prospects.

   What to watch next

   • Final certified election results from the remaining uncounted ballots
   • Formation of municipal coalitions in major cities
   Sources used for this update (21)

   1. www.nbcnews.com — Tracking the 2026 early vote
   2. BBC — South Africa local elections: ANC under pressure to reverse decline
   3. Reuters — ANC narrowly leads DA in early South Africa municipal election results
   4. Daily Maverick — LIVE | Focus shifts to counting process as election results start coming in
   5. The Guardian — ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots counted
   6. BusinessTech — 2026 election results: 50% of all votes counted, with the ANC getting hammered
   7. Financial Times — South Africa’s incredible shrinking ANC
   8. Reuters — South Africa's ANC set for major vote loss, city coalition battles loom
   9. AP News — South Africa's once-dominant ANC faces huge decline in voter support, early election results show
   10. Reuters — South Africa's ANC at 32%, DA 24% as municipal vote count enters final stretch
   11. Daily Maverick — What the Results Operations Centre reveals about SA’s trajectory
   12. eNCA — ANC faces worst-ever election result as support slumps
   confidence 100%