2026 South African municipal elections

Election Commission activities

In 2025, the IEC acknowledged the effectiveness of online voter self-registration in South Africa, which was rolled out during the 2021 municipal elections.^[8]

In April 2025, the IEC announced that 258,838 new voters had registered through its various platforms, and that the majority of them were young people.^[8]

As is standard in South African elections, political parties received public funding for the 2026 South African municipal elections. Over R355 million from the national budget for the 2024 financial year was provided to 20 political parties by the IEC.^[8]

The Electoral Commission noted a decline in political fundraising activity, with fewer parties declaring donations exceeding the R100,000 threshold (as required by South African law) than in the period leading up to the 2024 general election.^[8]

South Africa uses a system of physical ballots for all of its elections, and has not used electronic voting before. In April 2025, the IEC confirmed that no form of e-voting would be used in the 2026 municipal elections. This followed a 3-day conference, held by the Commission, which started a national discussion on the feasibility and possible implementation for future elections.^[8]

The Chief Director of the National Treasury’s Public Finance Division, Gillian Wilson, said at a conference in March 2025 that it should not be assumed that e-voting would save money during elections. She further stated that it is likely that e-voting would be a significant expense, and that a thorough cost analysis should be conducted before a decision is made.^[8]

Wilson also noted that costs for national and provincial elections had increased by 294% from 1994 to 2024, and for local elections by 193% from 2001 to 2021. Factors for the increases include inflation, campaign expenses, and logistics.^[8]

In the runup to the 2026 elections, the Electoral Commission launched voter registration services via WhatsApp, as well as a new online nomination system for candidates and parties.^[5]

Wards

For municipal elections, South African voters submit ballots within their ward, which is based on the area in which they primarily reside (and therefore register to vote in). Voters are represented by a particular Ward Councillor, who may or may not have an affiliation with a political party.

Municipal ward boundary demarcations are determined by an independent agency - the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB). Around a year prior to elections, the MDB publishes its draft boundaries. There is then a 14 day period to challenge these formally, as well as a public consultation process. Subsequently, the MDB hands over the final demarcations to the Electoral Commission.

In May 2025, the MDB said that its work for South African municipal ward delimitations was well on track. At the time, South Africa had 4,468 wards.^[9]

Wards are split if the increase in the number of people residing within them exceeds the norm (the increase across all wards during the 5 years between elections). Ward splitting is heavily regulated in South Africa, and as part of the splitting process, motivations for wanting to do so must be put forward and assessed. It must be indicated what the implications of the splitting are, whether doing so would be in contravention of the South African Constitution, and whether people are being segregated or communities are being split up inappropriately.^[9]

As part of the process, the MDB embarked on a countrywide ward delimitation public consultation process. Applications for the redetermination of municipal wards are received by the MDB, following which there is a 14-day period during which members of the public can provide objections. Subsequently, it goes to the Board for decision-making. If a ward is split, the Independent Electoral Commission (ECSA) informs voters and re-registers them as part of their new wards. The IEC also confirms that its voting district boundaries align with the wards.

A total of 4,488 voting districts were confirmed for the 2026 elections.^[3] Across these districts, the total number of voting stations confirmed by the Electoral Commission was 23,699.^[3]

The board stated that it would hand over its report on ward delimitations to the IEC in October 2025.^[9] The MDB ward handover took place on 10 December 2025.^[10]

In December 2025, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed that the MDB had increased the number of wards in South Africa by 20, shifting the total to 4,488. He also stated that outer municipal boundaries would remain unchanged ahead of the 2026/27 election, to ensure stability. The Minister emphasized that municipal wards are the foundation of local democracy, providing clear responsibilities for councilors, ensuring fair representation, and enabling municipalities to plan, allocate resources, and deliver services effectively.^[4]

As per the new demarcations, ward totals per province were as follows:^[11]

More information Province, Total districts ...

Wards by province, prior to the 2026 LGE

Province	Total districts	Change since last LGE
Eastern Cape	703	7
Free State	311	8
Gauteng	526	3
KwaZulu-Natal	921	20
Limpopo	568
Mpumalanga	408	8
North West	402	1
Northern Cape	233	1
Western Cape	416	10
Voting district total (national)	4,488	20

Close

Registration

South Africans register to vote once, and remain on the voters' roll indefinitely. Citizens can update their personal details, such as submit a change of address, via an online portal run by the Electoral Commission. Voters register where they live primarily, and vote at a voting station allocated to them, based on their area of registration. Voters can also request to vote from elsewhere, such as if they are on holiday in another city.

In November 2025, the Electoral Commission of South Africa confirmed that from January through September 2025, over 305,200 new voters had registered, while over 60,700 existing voters had updated their registration details. In a speech in November 2025, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi encouraged more South Africans to register to vote.^[12]

Voter registration weekends were scheduled to take place in June and August 2026.^[13] During the registration weekends, a total of 754,000 new voters were registered, around half of which were under the age of 29. In August 2026, the Electoral Commission stated that 2.1 million individuals had been added to the voters roll since the 2024 general elections.^[5]

Research

March 2026 research by Ipsos found that only 38% of South Africans thought their local government was doing a good job. Furthermore, it found that 61% of South Africans were either somewhat or very interested in politics and elections. The research also found that 64% of people intended to vote in the 2026 municipal election. 66% of people said that casting their vote in the election was important to them. Finally, 63% of South Africans said parties should work together at the local government level.^[14]

Party deregistration

In April 2025, the IEC announced that, as part of standard administration procedures, it intended to deregister 192 political parties. Of those parties, 136 had made representations to preserve their status as registered parties. 3 political parties asked the IEC to cancel their registrations, and 53 parties did not respond to the invitation to make representations.^[8]

The IEC stated at the time that the cancellation of registrations of inactive political parties was necessary to ensure that only active political parties remained on the party register. The Commission also said that the cancellation of inactive parties would free the usage of names, abbreviated names, logos, and color schemes for aspirant parties.^[8]

2024

• 15 April: An IRR opinion poll showed that for the first time in history, the Democratic Alliance (DA) was more popular among voters than the African National Congress (ANC).^[26][27]
• 6 November: South African Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced in Cape Town that the next municipal elections would be held between 2 November 2026 and 1 February 2027.^[2]

2025

• 15 January: ActionSA and the Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) announce a merger, whereby they will contest the upcoming election together under the former's banner, but retain dual membership to protect their existing municipal representation. Herman Mashaba stated that this was a step towards uniting opposition parties to stand against the GNU and the EFF-MK coalition.^[28]

• 23 April: The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced in Centurion that it had commenced preparations for the 2026 election. The Commission also announced the political party funding allocation.

• 23 July: After a session at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the National Assembly passed an Appropriation Bill (budget). This paves the way for the approval of the full schedule of votes for 42 Departmental and other entities, as well as the second reading of the Bill. The Bill easily reached, and significantly surpassed, the required 201-vote simple majority to pass it, with 262 votes in favor. The ANC, DA, GOOD, IFP, PA, FF+, ActionSA, UDM, Al-Jama-ah, BOSA, Rise Mzansi, and PAC voted in favor of the bill, signifying a positive unity within the coalition National Government.^[29]

• 31 July: Deputy President Paul Mashatile, a member of the ANC, declared ownership of two luxury properties with a combined value of R65 million. One property worth R37 million is located in Waterfall, Midrand. The other, a R28.9 million home in Constantia, Cape Town, is one that Mashatile previously denied owning, instead saying it was owned by his son-in-law’s company. Other properties were also declared to be owned by Mashatile. Mashatile’s office stated that no provincial or national Department under his oversight as Deputy President has ever been awarded, been accused of awarding, or investigated for awarding tenders to any companies linked to his family. The Hawks' (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) National Spokesperson, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, confirmed that the unit was investigating corruption-related claims involving funds used to purchase the Constantia home.^[30][31]

• 8 September: Floyd Shivambu announced his new political party, the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, during a media briefing in Johannesburg. Shivambu stated that the party had already been registered in terms of the Electoral Commission Act of 1996, allowing it to contest elections. He further said that the party would contest all wards in the 2026 local government elections.^[32]

• 16 September: The Patriotic Alliance (PA) announced that its candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg was the party's Deputy President, Kenny Kunene. This, despite Kunene's existing suspension. The party also announced that, despite being sworn in just 1 month prior, Johannesburg Councilor Liam Jacobs would resign from the position and become the PA’s mayoral candidate for Cape Town.^[33]

• 20 September: The Democratic Alliance (DA) named Helen Zille as the party's candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg. If elected Mayor, Zille promised better delivery of water, electricity, road repair, and refuse services. She had submitted her application to run on 15 June.^[34][35]

• 26 September: PA Leader Gayton McKenzie stated that his party felt it was part of a coalition where it is not respected, and would therefore withdraw from the Government of National Unity (GNU) on 30 September 2025. He further stated that he would resign as Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture on the same day. McKenzie had given Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero an ultimatum to reinstate PA Deputy President Kenny Kunene to his former Mayco member for transport role, or have the PA withdraw from the city's coalition government. Morero did not do so. In McKenzie's statement, he confirmed that the PA would withdraw from coalitions at all levels of government. If followed through on, the PA would be the first party to exit the GNU.^[36]

• 1 October: After a meeting with the ANC, the PA announced that the two parties had found common ground, and that the PA would not leave the governing coalition.^[37]

• 1 October: Leader of the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party and Member of Parliament, Julius Malema, was convicted of five offenses, including the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, illegally firing a weapon in public, and reckless endangerment. These offenses related to an EFF rally, at which Malema fired between 14 and 15 live rounds on a stage, in front of 20,000 EFF supporters. Known for his belligerence, Malema will undergo pre-sentencing in January 2026, where, under South African law, he faces a minimum prison sentence of 15 years. Furthermore, as per the Constitution of South Africa, should he receive a sentence of 12 months or more, without the option of a fine, and fails to have the judgement overturned on appeal, Malema will be barred from serving as a Member of Parliament for five years.^[38]

• 4 October: ActionSA announced that Xolani Khumalo was their mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni.^[39]

• 5 October: The leaders of three minor political parties, Mmusi Maimane, Songezo Zibi and Patricia de Lille ( BOSA, Rise Mzansi and Good respectively), announced the formation of a new political party (Unite for Change). While the party will contest the municipal elections under one banner, the parties' previously elected officials will continue to sit as members of the party they were elected as. ^[40]

• 12 October: It was reported that the ANC was considering breaking tradition and announcing its Johannesburg mayoral candidate. Historically, the party has not done this; however, DA candidate Helen Zille's high-profile candidacy may force the ANC to announce someone in an attempt to retain control of the metro.^[41]

• 21 October: COSATU, SA's largest trade union, said it had yet to decide which of its former tripartite alliance partners to back in the 2026 local elections. This is the first election where the SACP and ANC are running against one another, and COSATU is expected to back one of the parties.^[42]

• 24 October: Just three months after its formation, the Afrika Mayibuye Movement (AMM) removed the party's first Deputy President, Nolubabalo Mcinga, due to misconduct. Mcinga had recently been involved in a fallout with party leader Floyd Shivambu. She also had an unsanctioned meeting on behalf of the party with a PR firm, and an unsanctioned meeting with MK leader Jacob Zuma.^[43]

• 3 November: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reconfirmed that the Government of National Unity (GNU) would remain. He further said that the 16-month-old coalition government was intent on finding more ways to work together and focusing on how best to improve the lives of South Africans. The announcement followed a retreat (strategic session) with GNU party leaders, with no agenda and a mandate to keep matters private, so that leaders could speak freely with each other about how best to work together in the continued GNU. President Ramaphosa said the retreat went "exceptionally well", that leaders had celebrated the GNU's progress and transformational work, and that further such meetings would happen. Other GNU party leaders also stated that the retreat was a success.^[44]

• 4 November: The Electoral Commission confirmed that 508 political parties had registered to contest the 2026 local elections. The total included 62 new parties since the last municipal election. Of the 508 parties, 295 were registered at the national level, while 404 were registered at the provincial level.^[45]

• 5 December: The Electoral Commission of South Africa announced that it would launch a new podcast platform and updated WhatsApp channel in 2026, as part of an initiative to motivate more young South Africans to participate in the democratic process by voting in elections.^[46]

2026

• 19 January: It was reported that the ANC considered South African billionaire and founder of mining company African Rainbow Minerals Patrice Motsepe as a high quality candidate to run for its party leadership, and succeed then-present leader Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe, who serves on the Board of the World Economic Forum and as the President of the Confederation of African Football, had not yet confirmed an interest in running for the ANC position.^[47]

• 20 January: Leader of the Patriotic Alliance and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie sparked outrage over his actions resulting in South Africa withdrawing from the 61st Venice Biennale, a contemporary art exhibition with an international following. McKenzie overruled an independent curatorial panel’s unanimous selection of a work by artist Gabrielle Goliath. Goliath’s long-running performance work Energy addresses themes such as gender-based violence, and the War in Gaza. Thus, McKenzie's decision raised questions as to whether his actions were motivated by censorship and political interference.^[48]

• 21 January: Helen Zille confirmed that she would not stand for another term as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance. Zille said she intends to focus on her campaign to become Joburg's next Mayor, stating that she feels her job is now to try and help fix local government, with functional metros benefitting South Africa as a whole.^[49]

• 22 January: South African artist Gabrielle Goliath decided to sue PA Leader and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie, over his decision to withdraw her exhibit from the 61st Venice Biennale event. Goliath’s lawyers asked the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria to declare that McKenzie’s attempts to interfere with and obstruct the independent selection committee’s decision to select her work were unconstitutional, unlawful, and invalid. They further asked the court to set aside McKenzie’s decision to withdraw her artwork from the event, and bar him from taking any further steps to interfere with or obstruct her exhibit from being shown at the 61st Venice Biennale.^[50]

• 4 February: Democratic Alliance Leader and Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that he would be stepping down from his role leading the DA, to focus exclusively on managing his portfolio at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Steenhuisen remarked that he did not want his being at the forefront of the 2026 South African municipal elections to detract from his ministerial role, and so they were best done by two separate individuals. During his announcement, Steenhuisen celebrated major DA successes, including being a major part of the formation of the GNU, and the party entering ruling national government for the first time. Steenhuisen's decision was widely viewed as opening the door for highly popular Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to run for the position of DA Leader. Hill-Lewis founded the DA Student Organization (DASO) while attending UCT, and served as Helen Zille's Chief of Staff, before becoming Mayor of Cape Town in 2021. Cape Town has, for numerous years, been widely regarded as South Africa's best-run metro, with clean audits, good governance, the highest number of affordable housing units developed, and sustainable infrastructure development among the City of Cape Town's successes.^[51]

• 7 February: Calls for the removal of Patriotic Alliance Leader and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie grew, with various sports organizations, cultural groups, indigenous groups, and activists raising concerns about his controversial statements and decisions. Around the same time, McKenzie's latest controversial comments surrounded his public affirmation of his support for US President Donald Trump's stance on immigration, and forced removal actions through Federal Agency ICE. Analysts said the controversies collectively raised questions about McKenzie's ability to lead a department responsible for social cohesion, cultural diversity, heritage protection, arts, and sport development. At the time, Khayelitsha community activist Thulani Dasa commented that, "development is delivered through honest, capable, and accountable government".^[52][53]

• 16 February: Leader of ActionSA Herman Mashaba announced that he would compete for his party's nomination to run for Mayor of Johannesburg.^[54]

• 20 February: Democratic Alliance Federal Executive Leader Helen Zille campaigned in Johannesburg's Ward 102, for Bea Campbell-Cloete, who was hoping to become the ward's new councilor. Ward 102 comprises the suburbs of Bryanston, Hurlingham, Blairgowrie, Bordeaux, and Randburg CBD. Should Campbell-Cloete become the ward's next councilor, her proportional representation (PR) councilor seat would become vacant. This would allow Zille to fill that seat, and join the Johannesburg City Council, which Zille plans to do, should the opportunity arise. Despite Ward 102 traditionally being a DA stronghold, the party said it was leaving nothing to chance, and was campaigning heavily regardless.^[55]

• 21 February: ActionSA announced that its leader, Herman Mashaba would be its candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg, after emerging as the preferred candidate from a shortlist of five.^[56]

• 23 February: The Msunduzi Local Municipality announced during a media briefing that municipal employees affiliated with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) had been linked to alleged sabotage of the municipality's water infrastructure. It was noted that the water supply to government institutions had been interfered with, and resulted in a water outage. The municipality said the interference was politically-motivated, and confirmed it had launched an investigation into the matter.^[57]

• 26 February: A former ActionSA Johannesburg PR councilor left the party to join the Democratic Alliance. Mandla Nyaqela accused ActionSA Leader Herman Mashaba of being a dictator, saying no choice or autonomy was given to the party members, and that everyone had to vote according to what Mashaba wanted. He cited an example of an upcoming Johannesburg council meeting to elect a Deputy Mayor, where he said all ActionSA councilors were told to vote according to Mashaba's decision, and he further claimed the party was a cult. Around 50 other ActionSA members left the party and joined the DA at the same time. The members were mostly from Soweto, and were formerly at five ActionSA branches, including Dobsonville, Zondi, Jabulani, Braamfischerville, and Mofolo. DA FedEx Chair and Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille welcomed the new party members at a meeting in Dobsonville, Soweto on 26 February 2026, where she stated that several more ActionSA members were expected to join the DA.^[58][59]

• 27 February: Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced he would run for the position of Leader of the Democratic Alliance. Launching his campaign in Elsie's River, he said that he has a deep love for South Africa, and wants to make the country work. His candidacy for the role was nominated by fellow DA member and Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, who said she did so with conviction, and believes in a new generation of leaders. At the announcement, senior party members highlighted the DA's significant continued successes with governance and service delivery in Cape Town.^[60]

• 27 February: The Democratic Alliance's (DA) Gauteng Legislature Leader Solly Msimanga confirmed he had accepted a nomination to run for the position of DA Federal Chairperson. At his announcement in Pretoria, Msimanga, who has led the party in the Gauteng Legislature since 2023, said he was humbled by the nomination, stating he was accepting it not for title or prestige, but for purpose. He committed to working to increase the number of DA Mayors outside the Western Cape.^[61]

• 28 February: It was reported that South Africans had given the Democratic Alliance the majority of the political donations declared for the period September to December 2025. Of the total campaign funding given to the five political parties that declared donations for that period, South African donors gave over 89% to the DA.^[62]

• 1 March: The Democratic Alliance stated that, based on past voter turnout data, if 490,000 registered DA voters turn up in Johannesburg in the municipal elections and vote for the DA on both ballots, the party would secure an outright majority in the Joburg Metropolitan Municipality.^[63]

• 3 March: More announcements were made in terms of those running for top positions in the DA's Federal Executive. The party's National Assembly House Chair Werner Horn and Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen launched campaigns for the role of Federal Council Chair.^[64]

• 9 March: The Electoral Commission commenced with a nationwide push for online voter registration. The Commission encouraged all eligible citizens to use its IEC self-service portal to register, update their details, and check their voter status online, ahead of election day. Furthermore, the Commission also started increasing its registration drives and civic education efforts at schools and universities.^[65]

• 24 March: Sedibeng District Municipality Councilor and Democratic Alliance member Sibusiso Dyonase announced his candidacy for the position of Leader of the DA, setting him up to run against Geordin Hill-Lewis. The two would therefore be seeking the support of party delegates in the run-up to the DA's Federal Congress in April.^[66]

• 1 April: It was reported that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was in the process of recruiting and training over 70,000 employees to assist with the registration weekend taking place on 20 and 21 June 2026. The IEC unveiled its election logo and tagline, "Get Up, Show Up, Vote", at the Gallagher Convention Centre. IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya said both were designed to attract the youth vote.^[67]

• 3 April: news24 reported on how DA candidate for Joburg Mayor, Helen Zille was running a new kind of campaign - one that uses humor and social media to address serious infrastructure issues. Zille said she was running a digital-first campaign that was an adaptation to how the consumption of news and media in general had evolved due to technology. She praised her young campaign team for being innovative, and being up for anything, making the campaign content fun. news24 also noted how the ANC-run City of Johannesburg was attending to infrastructure issues right after Zille's campaign released content about them. This, despite those same issues having already been reported by residents through official channels.^[68]

• 12 April: The Democratic Alliance (DA) elected Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as the party's new leader at its 2026 Federal Congress. Hill-Lewis garnered more delegate votes than runner-up Councilor Sibusiso Dyonase. In his acceptance speech, Hill-Lewis said the upcoming local election would serve as a stepping stone towards building the DA into the largest party in South Africa, ahead of the 2029 national election.^[69]

• 16 April: Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison, after he was found guilty of charges relating to the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, public discharging of a firearm, and reckless endangerment. The acts were committed by Malema at a rally. It was found that these acts were planned by Malema before the event. Malema was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. Sentencing took place at the East London Magistrate's Court.^[70]

• 30 April: President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the date of the election to be 4 November 2026. The day is likely to be declared a public holiday, as per precedent.^[1]

• 5 May: MP and leader of the National Coloured Congress Fadiel Adams was arrested by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a unit of the South African Police Service. Adams was arrested on charges of fraud and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Police stated that the task team discovered that Mr Adams interfered with police investigations during an advanced stage of the case. Adams was also accused of misusing his parliamentary status to gain access to a prison to interview an inmate, and convincing prison authorities to allow him to enter with his cellphone, which should not have been permitted.^[71]

• 6 May: Media reports were published relating to a letter that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana had written to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero the month before, in relation to the City's finances. The letter stated that the City of Johannesburg metro owed creditors R25.2 billion, while only holding R3.9 billion in cash, essentially declaring Joburg as bankrupt. The letter also said the City had violated multiple provisions of the Municipal Finance Management Act. Godongwana threatened to withhold R8 billion in equitable share revenue if the City didn't fix its financial practices.^[72]

• 8 May: The Constitutional Court ruled that the then-ANC-controlled Parliament's 2022 vote not to refer the report of the Phala Phala case to an independent panel, as envisaged by National Assembly rules, was unconstitutional. It was thus set aside. Furthermore, the court ordered Parliament to assemble a panel to review, as a result of the case, whether or not President Cyril Ramaphosa should be impeached.^[73]

• 20 May: Human Rights Watch noted the wave of xenophobic violence which swept cities like Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg, spearheaded by groups such as March and March. March and March's leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has denied allegations of xenophobia, instead reiterating that the organisations goal is to pressure the government to enforce stricter immigration laws.^[74][75]

• 28 May: The Democratic Alliance gained a 100% demographically Black South African township ward from the ANC in a by-election for the first time in the country's history of democracy, in Evaton, Emfuleni^[76]

• 7 June: Western Cape MPP and GOOD Secretary-General Brett Herron was announced to be the Cape Town mayoral candidate for both GOOD and Rise Mzansi.^[77]

• 18 June: Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza referred contempt of Parliament charges against EFF leader Julius Malema to the Powers and Privileges Committee. This was as a result of Malema's continued refusal to apologize for using his platform to question a judge who ruled against the EFF in 2019. Malema was ordered to apologize after Parliament adopted a recommendation from the Ethics Committee for him to do so, back in 2021.^[78]

• 20 June: The Electoral Commission hosted a voter registration weekend, opening voting stations across South Africa to give eligible citizens a convenient opportunity to register, update their details, or check that they appear on the voters' roll, in advance of the November elections. The Commission also confirmed that South Africans could register or update their details online through its Voter Information Portal.^[79]

• 22 June: The Electoral Commission announced the results of its successful voter registration weekend. It said around 90% of registrations took place at physical polling stations, and that young South Africans and new voters comprised the majority of registrations.^[80] The Commission said that it had recorded a total of 2.9 million registrations over the weekend -an improvement over the 1.7 million registrants during the registration weekend during the 2021 local elections. Furthermore, 477,174 (16%) of registrants were new voters. The total number of registered South African voters after the weekend was 28.5 million. The Commission confirmed that a second voter registration weekend would take place, from 1 through 2 August 2026.^[81]

• 24 June: ANC Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana notified ANC Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero of plans to stop transfer of funds from the national government to Joburg, effective Friday 26 June 2026, unless a satisfactory explanation of why this should not occur was received by the Treasury before then. This followed Godongwana writing to Morero in April 2026, notifying him of violations to the Municipal Finance Management Act, and threatening to cut off funding transfers (R8 billion in equitable share revenue). The City of Johannesburg proceeded with a budget against the Treasury's wishes, and did not submit sufficient explanations for its financial practices, according to Godongwana. As such, the Minister stated his intent to proceed with the ending of transfers, through invoking Section 216(2) of the Constitution. The Democratic Alliance threatened legal action against the Minister of Finance unless he intervened to attempt to resolve the financial situation in Johannesburg.^[82]

• 30 June: President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Cabinet changes. Former ANC Minister Dina Pule was appointed to fill the Minister of Social Development position left vacant through the dismissal of Sisisi Tolashe. Numerous changes were made at the request of the Democratic Alliance, as a formal member of the GNU. Former party leader John Steenhuisen was moved into the position of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. Replacing him as Minister of Agriculture is Willie Aucamp. Replacing Aucamp in his former role as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is David Maynier, who previously served as Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education. Other DA appointments were Alexandra Abrahams as Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Jack Bloom as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, and Yusuf Cassim as Deputy Minister of Higher Education.^[83]

• 3 July: Severe multi week water shortages in Ratanda, Lesedi local municipality, prompt intense service delivery protests. Demonstrators barricade major routes, halting economic activity. Escalating violence led to the burning of the mayor's house and looting of nearby business. Clashes between law enforcement and residents lead to the police firing rubber bullets.^[84]

• 7 July: The Madlanga Commission found that EFF Leader Julius Malema was linked to tobacco businessman Mo Sayed and tainted Crime Intelligence cop Feroz Khan. It was discovered that Sayed frequently acted as a middleman between Khan and Malema, and that Khan drafted questions for the EFF to put to Inspector-General of Intelligence during a parliamentary appearance. The Madlanga Commission Evidence Leader stated that these interactions had the appearance of, "an illegal favor in return for a favor". Khan also sent questions to the EFF to raise with then-Minister of Police Bheki Cele.^[85]

• 8 July: As he warned he would, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana withheld national financial transfers to the City of Johannesburg due to the City's financial mismanagement. Withholding the transfers is intended to bring about fiscal discipline, prevent wasteful expenditure, and hold Joburg's City officials accountable. Funds would only be reinstated once the City conveys how it plans to fix its financial situation. Joburg Mayor Dada Morero said the City would fully comply with the process.^[86]

• 10 July: The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) was reported to be in poor financial condition, following irresponsible expenditure and undesirable fundraising performance. As such, the party froze travel allowances for its leaders. This followed the firing of the party's Treasurer-General in January 2026.^[87]

• 25 July: The Economic Freedom Fighters released its election manifesto and announced its mayoral candidates for the municipal elections during the party's 13th birthday celebration rally at the Thohoyandou Stadium, in Thohoyandou. The party selected United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng as its mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg. It also named EFF National Chairperson Nontando Nolutshungu for the City of Cape Town, Omphile Maotwe for the City of Tshwane, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi for eThekwini, former Council Speaker Nthabiseng Tshivenga for the City of Ekurhuleni, Sam Matiase for Mangaung, Sinawo Thambo for Nelson Mandela Bay, and Mkhululi Dlevu for Buffalo City. The party further announced candidates for several "strategic" municipalities, including Lawrence Mapoulo for Polokwane, party Deputy President Godrich Gardee for Mbombela, Israel Monaise for Rustenburg, and Florence Tito for Sol Plaatje.^[88][89][90]

• 29 July 2026: SA's Electoral Commission (ECSA) announced that the total number of registered political parties in the runup to the local elections had reached 620. This represented an increase of over 100 parties since March that same year. The Commission also stated that 76 parties and 39 independent candidates had started using its Online Candidate Nomination System (ONCS). The ECSA also confirmed that, based on demand, it had settled on a total of 23,699 voting stations for the 2026 elections. Finally, the Commission confirmed that its second and final voter registration weekend would be held over 1 and 2 August 2026.^[3]

• 1 August 2026: The Electoral Commission of South Africa (ECSA) announced that, during the first day of its second registration weekend, it had recorded a further 30,000 new voter registrations.^[91]

• 3 August 2026: The ECSA confirmed that over the two days of its final voter registration weekend, a total of 299,000 new voter registrations were recorded. Therefore, the total new voter registrations across the two registration weekends was 754,000. The Commission confirmed that total registered voters were at around 29 million, and that registration online would close on 7 August 2026.^[5]

• 4 August 2026: After seizing control of party finances, Jacob Zuma fired John Hlophe as uMkhonto weSizwe Party's (MKP) First Deputy President, and appointed his own son, Duduzane Zuma, in the role instead. Furthermore, Jacob Zuma removed longtime ally Nathi Nhleko from the role of National Chair of the party, replacing him with Mxolisi Phakathi.^[92]

• 8 August 2026: The Democratic Alliance (DA) officially launched its manifesto for the local elections. The National Manifesto Launch for Election 2026 was held in Joburg, with its keynote speech delivered by party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis. Prior to this, the manifesto underwent workshopping across the DA's members, and received approval by the DA's Federal Council the week before the launch event. At the launch, the DA used National Treasury data, municipal audit stats, and infrastructure metrics to delve into how, in technical terms, it would commit to improving service delivery. The technical blueprint focused on ringfencing utility revenue to invest in infrastructure development, ending the cadre deployment that other parties had relied on, and appointing staff based on merit, including finance experts, planners, and engineers.^[93][94]

• 5 August 2026: MP and leader of the National Coloured Congress Fadiel Adams was suspended from Parliament after the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests found that he had contravened Parliament's code of ethical conduct. Adams published a Facebook post that included the personal details of a DA MP.^[95]

• 11 August 2026: Suspended MP and leader of the National Coloured Congress Fadiel Adams appeared before the Madlanga Commission, and blamed a faulty laptop for his not responding to the Commission's formal notice emails, dating back to October 2025. The Commission's Chair, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, asked Adams how he could function properly as a Member of Parliament while having a faulty laptop. Adams responded, "Half the time, I don't". Madlanga said that Adams was not taking the Commission seriously. Adams' evidence was postponed until 19 August, while the Commission continued with other work.^[96]

• 19 August 2026: At his second Madlanga Commission appearance, suspended MP and leader of the National Coloured Congress Fadiel Adams admitted he had lied to the Commission about receiving its emails. Adams had originally claimed that he had sent a faulty laptop to Parliament's IT department numerous times, and blamed this for not receiving the Commission's email about questions he was to answer. However, Parliament refuted this, and stated it was unaware that Adams' official device was not operational. At his second Commission appearance, Adams said he had actually received the email, but had then forgotten about it. When questioned by the Commission about his social media posts, Adams stated, "Forget what I say on social media; that's me acting like a fool half the time".^[97]

National respondents

The below polls were conducted nationally.

Johannesburg respondents

The below polls were conducted specifically for residents of the City of Johannesburg metro, which includes the city of Johannesburg.

Pretoria respondents

The below polls were conducted specifically for residents of the Tshwane metro, which includes the city of Pretoria.

Durban respondents

The below polls were conducted specifically for residents of the eThekwini metro, which includes the city of Durban.