News24 | Battleground ’26: The local government elections

Battleground 2026 is not just another election. It’s a moment in time when the tectonic plates that make up South Africa's political world will shift and realign.

How much and in which direction only the election can tell us.

What we do know is that change is guaranteed. 

The last five years have been hard on South Africans, with only the lucky few left untouched by water outages, electricity supply problems, bad roads, uncollected refuse, and a rising cost of living. On 4 November, they will certainly express their feelings.

For several political parties, 2026 will be a watershed year. For the DA, the quest is to become the largest party in Gauteng's metros, the country's economic heartland. In the same province, the ANC is fighting for survival. The lower it sinks now, the harder it will be to come back. 

Some of its wounds are self-inflicted. Having failed to press "submit" before the IEC's deadline, the ANC will fight Mangaung without a PR list, which means it must win all 51 wards in a 101-seat council to hold even a one-seat majority. Anything less, and it loses its control, with the metro likely governed by coalition.

The ANC isn't out of options, but if its challenges fail, the party will be left to horsetrade for a seat at tables it used to control.

MKP is also a new factor. After these elections, it could well emerge as the controlling force in several councils, eThekwini being the prize. This will give it access to money and power.

How the coalitions shape up at the end of it all is critical and will reset the country's direction. 

It could not be more important to turn up, vote, and be among the people who have spoken. 

The Metros

Explore possible coalitions based on current council seats.

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_{News24 editor-in-chief: Adriaan Basson
News24 deputy editor: Ahmed Areff
News24 politics editor: Carol Paton
News24 deputy politics editor: Bongekile Macupe; Emsie Ferreira
Journalists: Alex Patrick; Sune Payne; Marvin Charles; Norman Masungwini; Siyamtanda Capa; Amanda Dlamini-Khoza; Justine Lebaka; Soyiso Maliti; Sithandiwe Velaphi
Production editor: Hanlie Gouws
Subeditors: Riaan Grobler; Danni Marais; Fatima Schroeder
Design: Sharlene Rood; Mihle Mdashe; additional design by Kgothatso Rakoma}