South Africa ANC Election Defeat
9 outlets
Each outlet's article on this story, most articles first
15 reporters
- Mogomotsi MagomeToronto Star
- Tiisetso MotsoenengSemafor
- The Straits TimesThe Straits Times
- Khanyisile NgcoboBBC
- Rachel Savage in JohannesburgThe Guardian
- The Associated PressABC News (US)
- AFP; AP; ReutersAl Jazeera
- ReutersThe Hindu
- AFP; ReutersAl Jazeera
- Darko JanjevicDeutsche Welle
- Wesley RahnDeutsche Welle
- APThe Hindu
- Ed HabershonBBC
- Federica MarsiAl Jazeera
- Vighnesh P. VenkiteshThe Hindu
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South Africa ANC Election Defeat. (2026, November 9). The Aporia. https://the-aporia.com/event/122298
“South Africa ANC Election Defeat.” The Aporia, 9 Nov. 2026, https://the-aporia.com/event/122298.
“South Africa ANC Election Defeat.” The Aporia, November 9, 2026. https://the-aporia.com/event/122298.
Dated the day this page was built. The link always leads to this event, even after the stories are regrouped.
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), the party once led by Nelson Mandela, has suffered its worst-ever local elections result, securing just 30% of the vote.
What happened
The outlets' own sentences, most widely reported first. Hover or tap one to see who reported it.
The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and formed a unity government with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party, and smaller parties.
The DA looks set to retain its majority in Cape Town, although probably with less than the 58% of the vote it won in 2021, as unaffordable housing turns more voters against the party.
Although the ANC retains the loyalty of some voters because of its role in ending apartheid, growing numbers of South Africans are frustrated by power cuts and water shortages, including in Johannesburg.
The elections will decide who leads South Africa's eight main city municipalities as well as its 44 district and 205 local councils.
What each outlet says
One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.
South African voters rejected the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in local elections on November 4, with the party winning less than a third of votes—its worst result since leading South Africa out of apartheid. The election marked a shift towards coalition politics, weakening the ANC's dominance and strengthening rival parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA). Analysts suggest that this outcome reflects…
South African voters rebuff ANC, accelerating shift to coalition politics →5 articles from The Straits Times on this storySouth Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst performance in local elections on Wednesday, securing only 31% of votes compared to about 25% for the Democratic Alliance (DA). This marks a significant decline from its previous results: 46% in 2021 and 66% in 2006. The ANC lost control of key cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on parties to approach…
What ‘catastrophic’ South Africa local election results mean for ANC →5 articles from Al Jazeera on this storyIn recent local elections, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) received its lowest vote share ever at 31%, narrowly beating the Democratic Alliance (DA), which gained ground significantly. The results highlight a continued decline for the ANC since it lost its national parliamentary majority in 2024 and signal a shift towards more coalition governance, particularly in major cities like…
South African voters punish ANC with worst-ever result →3 articles from Semafor on this storyThe African National Congress (ANC), which led South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and has dominated national politics since Nelson Mandela’s presidency, suffered its worst electoral performance in local body polls, winning only 30.76% of the vote. The article attributes this decline to corruption allegations and internal divisions within the party, highlighting a significant loss of support for the ANC that…
The fall of the ANC: how Mandela’s party slid to its worst-ever result | Explained →3 articles from The Hindu on this storyIn South Africa's recent local elections, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) recorded its lowest voter support since the end of apartheid, winning only 31% of the overall vote compared to 46% in 2021. This decline has led to the ANC losing control of several cities and provinces, with significant gains made by opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance and former president Jacob Zuma's party. Political…
'Devastating message' as ANC records worst-ever result in South Africa election →2 articles from BBC on this storyIn South Africa’s local elections, the African National Congress (ANC) is projected to receive under a third of the national vote with over 80% of ballots counted, marking a significant decline from its previous performance. The ANC faces challenges in two populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where it may lose its status as the largest party. Turnout increased to 54.5%, up from 46% five years ago, with the…
ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots counted →2 articles from The Guardian on this storyShow 3 more outlets
South Africans are set to vote in local government elections on Wednesday, which will determine control of major cities and assess the ruling African National Congress's (ANC) declining electoral strength. The election, focusing on issues such as municipal services and national concerns like illegal immigration and unemployment, comes after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and formed a unity…
South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANC →South Africans are voting in local elections that could further diminish the African National Congress (ANC)’s influence, particularly in major cities like Johannesburg. These elections will determine leadership for South Africa’s main city municipalities, district councils, and local councils. In Johannesburg, the ANC faces challenges from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is using publicity stunts to highlight…
South Africans vote in local elections that could continue decline of ANC →South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst electoral performance on Sunday, securing less than 31% of votes in municipal elections, down from over 46% in 2021 and just above 40% in the 2024 general election. The party lost its majority control in six out of eight metropolitan regions due to growing public dissatisfaction with issues like water and electricity shortages, high unemployment…
South Africa elections: ANC marks its worst-ever performance →Analysis
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'Devastating message' as ANC records worst-ever result in South Africa election
How it changed
- 2 Nov
The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and formed a unity government with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party, and smaller parties.
- 3 Nov
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 4 - South Africans vote in municipal elections on Wednesday, with anger over corruption, crime and failing public services threatening to deal another blow to the African National Congress.
- 4 Nov
The DA looks set to retain its majority in Cape Town, although probably with less than the 58% of the vote it won in 2021, as unaffordable housing turns more voters against the party.
- 5 Nov
With around 12% of votes counted by 0412 GMT, the ANC had about 32% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the Democratic Alliance on 30%, results from the election commission showed.
- 6 Nov
The African National Congress, the once dominant party of Nelson Mandela, is taking a drubbing in the local government elections, threatening Ramaphosa as the ANC’s 2027 leadership contest approaches.
- 8 Nov
Ramaphosa said political parties should approach the negotiations with humility.
- 9 Nov
"This has been a very catastrophic outcome for the ANC," said secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Saturday.
Coverage 23 articles
Suggested from 9 outlets (6 flagged as leaning left, 1 right): one of the fuller accounts, no political position was found in its wording and its publisher is declared as reporting rather than commentary.
10 Nov The fall of the ANC: how Mandela’s party slid to its worst-ever result | ExplainedThe African National Congress (ANC), which led South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and has dominated national politics since Nelson Mandela’s presidency, suffered its worst electoral performance in local body polls, winning only 30.76% of the vote. The article attributes this decline to corruption allegations and internal divisions within the party, highlighting a significant loss of support for the ANC that…The Hindu
9 Nov What ‘catastrophic’ South Africa local election results mean for ANCSouth Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst performance in local elections on Wednesday, securing only 31% of votes compared to about 25% for the Democratic Alliance (DA). This marks a significant decline from its previous results: 46% in 2021 and 66% in 2006. The ANC lost control of key cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on parties to approach…Al Jazeera
9 Nov South African voters punish ANC with worst-ever resultIn recent local elections, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) received its lowest vote share ever at 31%, narrowly beating the Democratic Alliance (DA), which gained ground significantly. The results highlight a continued decline for the ANC since it lost its national parliamentary majority in 2024 and signal a shift towards more coalition governance, particularly in major cities like…Semafor9 Nov South African voters rebuff ANC, accelerating shift to coalition politicsSouth African voters rejected the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in local elections on November 4, with the party winning less than a third of votes—its worst result since leading South Africa out of apartheid. The election marked a shift towards coalition politics, weakening the ANC's dominance and strengthening rival parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA). Analysts suggest that this outcome reflects…The Straits Times
9 Nov 'Devastating message' as ANC records worst-ever result in South Africa electionIn South Africa's recent local elections, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) recorded its lowest voter support since the end of apartheid, winning only 31% of the overall vote compared to 46% in 2021. This decline has led to the ANC losing control of several cities and provinces, with significant gains made by opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance and former president Jacob Zuma's party. Political…BBC
9 Nov South Africa’s ANC suffers worst-ever local elections resultIn South Africa's recent local elections, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) received only 30% of the vote, marking its lowest performance since the party came to power. This significant decline signals a major shift in voter sentiment towards the ANC, traditionally led by Nelson Mandela. Clement Manyathela from Al Jazeera provides coverage of this historic electoral setback for the ANC.Al Jazeera8 Nov South Africa's ANC takes a beating in municipal vote, setting up tough coalition talksIn South Africa’s recent municipal elections, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) received only 30.76% of votes, a significant decline from their 2021 tally of 45.59%. The main opposition Democratic Alliance secured 24.64%, and Jacob Zuma's party uMkhonto weSizwe garnered 9.76%. This fragmented result necessitates coalition talks for forming city governments in many municipalities, particularly in the…The Straits Times
8 Nov South Africa's ANC suffers worst election result as decline continuesOn November 8, 2026, South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst election results ever, receiving around 30% of the vote in local government elections, down from 45% in 2021. This decline reflects voter dissatisfaction with the ANC’s failure to deliver essential services like water and electricity. The Democratic Alliance (DA), previously a distant second, received approximately 25%, narrowing…The Hindu
8 Nov South Africa elections: ANC marks its worst-ever performanceSouth Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst electoral performance on Sunday, securing less than 31% of votes in municipal elections, down from over 46% in 2021 and just above 40% in the 2024 general election. The party lost its majority control in six out of eight metropolitan regions due to growing public dissatisfaction with issues like water and electricity shortages, high unemployment…Deutsche Welle
6 Nov US midterms offer South Africa false comfortSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces significant challenges both domestically and internationally following the US midterm elections. Domestically, his ruling African National Congress suffered a major setback in local government elections, with projections showing their worst-ever municipal performance at around 32% of the vote. Internationally, while Democrats regaining control of Congress offers some…Semafor
Show all 23 articles
6 Nov ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots countedIn South Africa’s local elections, the African National Congress (ANC) is projected to receive under a third of the national vote with over 80% of ballots counted, marking a significant decline from its previous performance. The ANC faces challenges in two populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where it may lose its status as the largest party. Turnout increased to 54.5%, up from 46% five years ago, with the…The Guardian6 Nov South Africa's ANC on track for big drop in voter support in municipal voteSouth Africa’s African National Congress is expected to lose significant voter support in recent municipal elections, according to preliminary results showing it at 32% of the vote compared to 25% for its rival, the Democratic Alliance. The ANC's decline marks a substantial drop from previous election results and suggests coalition talks will determine control over major cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town.The Straits Times
5 Nov South Africa’s ANC on track for new lows in local pollsSouth Africa's African National Congress (ANC) saw its vote share drop sharply in recent municipal elections, falling below 32 percent with over 60 percent of votes counted. The Democratic Alliance secured second place at about 25 percent, and former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party took third with around 8.5 percent. Turnout was up to 54.5 percent compared to the last municipal elections in 2021. These…Al Jazeera5 Nov ANC narrowly leads DA in early South Africa municipal election resultsIn South Africa’s municipal elections on November 4, early results show the African National Congress (ANC) leading with about 32% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the Democratic Alliance's 30%, based on around 12% of votes counted by 0412 GMT. However, these preliminary results are not yet indicative of the national picture as major provinces like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have reported only a small percentage of…The Straits Times
5 Nov Vote counting underway in critical South Africa electionsVoters' ballots are currently being tallied following South Africa's local municipal council elections, where 29.2 million people registered to vote, setting a new record. The election is significant as it could indicate support or loss of popularity for the African National Congress (ANC), which has dominated national politics since apartheid ended.Al Jazeera
4 Nov South Africa votes as ANC faces further losses and coalition rule loomsSouth Africans voted in municipal elections on November 4, 2026, amid widespread dissatisfaction over corruption, crime, and inadequate public services. The ruling African National Congress (ANC), which previously held a majority but fell below 50% support in the last municipal election, faces potential further losses with coalition rule becoming likely in many cities due to no single party having enough votes for…The Hindu- 4 Nov South Africans vote in local elections seen as test for embattled ANCSouth Africans are voting in local elections seen as a test for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has faced declining support over recent years. Polling began on Wednesday at 7am and ends at 9pm, with 29.2 million registered voters casting ballots at 23,696 voting stations. The ANC’s municipal support fell below 50 percent in the last election in 2021, and current polls suggest it could drop further…Al Jazeera
4 Nov South Africans vote in local elections that could continue decline of ANCSouth Africans are voting in local elections that could further diminish the African National Congress (ANC)’s influence, particularly in major cities like Johannesburg. These elections will determine leadership for South Africa’s main city municipalities, district councils, and local councils. In Johannesburg, the ANC faces challenges from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is using publicity stunts to highlight…ABC News (US)
4 Nov ANC faces anger over poor services as South Africans vote in local electionsSouth African voters are heading to the polls in local elections where the ruling African National Congress faces significant backlash over poor service delivery. Current polling indicates the ANC will receive less than a third of votes, down from previous years, as many municipalities grapple with issues like water outages and power cuts. In key cities such as Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, where coalition…The Guardian
4 Nov ANC under pressure to reverse South Africa declineSouth Africans are voting in local elections where the African National Congress (ANC), facing significant challenges, aims to demonstrate its ability to govern effectively despite losing voter support due to corruption and poor service delivery. The party's previous performance includes dropping from 70% of votes in 2004 to 40% in recent national elections. In the township of Alexandra near Johannesburg, many…BBC3 Nov South Africa votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC gripSouth Africans voted in municipal elections on November 4, with the ruling African National Congress facing potential further losses due to public dissatisfaction over corruption, crime, and poor service delivery. According to polls, support for the ANC could drop below 40%, leading many cities toward unstable coalition governments. President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged past failures but remains optimistic about…The Straits Times
2 Nov The ANC set to lose South African citiesSouth Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) is projected to lose control of most major cities in upcoming local elections, according to recent polling data. In key urban areas like Johannesburg and Tshwane, support for the ANC hovers around 30%, while in Durban it falls to just 10%. The Ipsos poll conducted between September 12 and October 13 reveals the party’s national support at a record low of 30%. This…Semafor
2 Nov South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANCSouth Africans are set to vote in local government elections on Wednesday, which will determine control of major cities and assess the ruling African National Congress's (ANC) declining electoral strength. The election, focusing on issues such as municipal services and national concerns like illegal immigration and unemployment, comes after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and formed a unity…Toronto Star
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Built 2026-11-09 from 22 articles. Every sentence on this page is quoted from the linked article; nothing was written by a model except the Summary and the items marked AI, which cite their sources, and the questions and labels under "Disputed". Photos are from the outlets that covered the story, never from articles our check marks sensitive.