South Africa faces more hung councils than ever as the 2026 local elections loom. Political analysts and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) warn that this year’s municipal elections are likely to produce a significant increase in hung councils — where no single party wins an outright majority — raising concerns about governance, stability and service delivery across the country. Experts say South Africa’s political landscape is evolving, with long-standing one-party dominance waning and multiparty coalition governance increasingly becoming the norm.
Professor Zweli Ndevu of the Inclusive Society Institute said coalitions are now a defining feature of local government. “We’ve seen this at local government, provincial, and national levels,” Ndevu said. “This trend reflects a declining trust in any one political party to govern effectively.” SALGA’s Chief Officer for Intergovernmental Relations and Municipal Resilience, Lance Joel, noted that coalition politics is no longer exceptional but has become embedded in South Africa’s democratic landscape.
“In every election cycle since 2000 we’ve seen more hung councils,” Joel said, adding that in 2021, more than half of municipalities lacked a clear majority. Instability in coalition councils has had tangible impacts in many areas, particularly in major metropolitan municipalities such as Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay. The movement toward coalitions is driven in part by declining voter support for dominant parties in many urban areas.
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Data from the 2021 local elections showed the ruling African National Congress (ANC) dipping below 50% in overall vote share for the first time at the local level, while opposition and smaller parties gained ground. As communities prepare for the 2026 elections — scheduled to take place between 2 November 2026 and 31 January 2027 — analysts predict further fragmentation. This year, about 34 new political parties have registered since the 2024 general elections, potentially increasing the number of kingmaker parties that hold the balance of power in coalition talks.
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