ANC Cape Town Mayoral Candidates: History, Selection Process and Latest Updates
Last updated: 15 July 2026
South Africans searching for the latest ANC Cape Town mayoral candidates are usually trying to answer two different questions: who will lead the ANC’s campaign in the city, and whether that person could actually become mayor.
The distinction matters. Political parties may present a mayoral candidate to voters, but Cape Town residents do not elect the mayor directly. Residents elect councillors, and the new City Council elects the executive mayor from among its members.
Cape Town is a major political prize. It is South Africa’s legislative capital, one of its largest economic centres and home to 4,772,846 people according to Statistics South Africa’s Census 2022 municipal factsheet. It is also the political and economic centre of the Western Cape, a province governed by the DA since 2009.
Who is the ANC’s Cape Town mayoral candidate?
The ANC has not yet officially announced its Cape Town mayoral candidate for the 4 November 2026 local government election. National ANC officials interviewed Cape Metro hopefuls on 11 July 2026, but the party has not published their names or confirmed a final nominee. Any individual described as the candidate before an official ANC announcement remains unconfirmed.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ANC Cape Town Mayoral Candidates: Complete Guide
Jul 15, 2026
Jul 15, 2026
40 min read
Published
Updated:
ANC Cape Town Mayoral Candidates: History, Selection Process and Latest Updates
Last updated: 15 July 2026
South Africans searching for the latest ANC Cape Town mayoral candidates are usually trying to answer two different questions: who will lead the ANC’s campaign in the city, and whether that person could actually become mayor.
The distinction matters. Political parties may present a mayoral candidate to voters, but Cape Town residents do not elect the mayor directly. Residents elect councillors, and the new City Council elects the executive mayor from among its members.
Cape Town is a major political prize. It is South Africa’s legislative capital, one of its largest economic centres and home to 4,772,846 people according to Statistics South Africa’s Census 2022 municipal factsheet. It is also the political and economic centre of the Western Cape, a province governed by the DA since 2009.
Who is the ANC’s Cape Town mayoral candidate?
The ANC has not yet officially announced its Cape Town mayoral candidate for the 4 November 2026 local government election. National ANC officials interviewed Cape Metro hopefuls on 11 July 2026, but the party has not published their names or confirmed a final nominee. Any individual described as the candidate before an official ANC announcement remains unconfirmed.
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Latest ANC Cape Town mayoral candidate update
Detail | Information |
Confirmed candidate | None announced |
Announcement date | Not applicable |
Current role | Not applicable until a candidate is confirmed |
Election | South African local government election, 4 November 2026 |
Status | Not yet officially confirmed |
Official source | No final ANC confirmation has been published. See the ANC’s public nomination statement and candidate-selection rules. |
Latest important development | ANC national officials interviewed Cape Metro candidates on 11 July 2026. The party said an announcement would follow after the process was completed. |
he Electoral Commission confirmed 4 November 2026 as election day.
On 11 July, ANC Western Cape Provincial Task Team convener Jeremiah Thuynsma told SABC News that national leaders were interviewing the Cape Metro candidates. He did not name the interviewees.
This means there is a selection process, but no publicly verified shortlist. Until the ANC issues a formal statement naming the successful person, the correct answer is that the candidate is not yet officially confirmed.
Latest candidates and reported contenders
Name | Current or previous position | Candidate status | Source |
No individual names officially released | Undisclosed candidates were interviewed for the Cape Metro position on 11 July 2026 | Unconfirmed |
No individual should be added to this table simply because their name appears on social media or in private ANC discussion. As of 15 July 2026, reliable public reporting confirms the interviews but does not identify the people interviewed.
What the different candidate labels mean
Nominee: A person whose name has been submitted through an authorised ANC nomination channel. Nomination does not guarantee an interview or final selection.
Contender: A general media description for a person believed to be competing for the position. It has no formal status unless supported by evidence.
Shortlisted candidate: A nominee formally selected to proceed to the next stage, normally an interview or further vetting.
Final mayoral candidate: The person formally selected and publicly announced by the authorised ANC structure.
Council nominee: A councillor formally nominated during the council meeting at which the mayor is elected. This person may be the party’s campaign candidate, but the two roles are not automatically identical.
How the ANC selects its Cape Town mayoral candidate
The ANC can change its selection rules between election cycles. The following explanation is based on the party’s NEC-approved rules for the 2026 local government elections and its May 2026 public-nomination announcement.
1. Names enter through authorised nomination channels
For 2026, the ANC opened six nomination streams. These included nominations from provincial and regional structures, alliance partners, ANC leagues, sectoral structures and the public.
The public process was unusually broad. An ANC member, organisation or ordinary South African could nominate someone. Non-members could also nominate themselves. The ANC’s statement said membership would be addressed later and before a name was publicly announced.
2. Applications and eligibility are checked
The party checks whether applicants meet its stated requirements. For mayoral, speaker and chief-whip candidates, the 2026 rules require, among other things:
a tertiary qualification from an accredited institution;
at least three years’ experience as an MP, MPL or councillor;
South African citizenship;
a minimum age of 24;
no criminal conviction that disqualifies the person from public office; and
ANC membership in good standing before final selection.
The wider councillor-selection rules also include screening, performance reviews for existing representatives and restrictions relating to adverse ANC Integrity Commission findings.
3. A shortlist is prepared
The ANC’s public statement says the National Officials shortlist, interview and select mayoral candidates from the widened nomination pool. The party has not published the Cape Town shortlist.
4. Candidates are vetted and interviewed
The rules require candidates to undergo the same interview process. Interview panels may include national or provincial officials and NEC or PEC members. The ANC Electoral Committee’s chair or representative has observer status during mayoral interviews.
In the Western Cape, the ANC classified Cape Town as one of five strategic municipalities in which national leaders directly supervised interviews. The Cape Metro interviews took place on 11 July 2026.
Reported checks included qualification verification, criminal-record screening and assessments of experience and community leadership. These checks are consistent with the party’s published emphasis on competence and integrity.
5. National Officials select the metro candidate
Cape Town is a metropolitan municipality. The 2026 rules state that mayoral candidates for all metropolitan municipalities and secondary cities are appointed exclusively by the ANC’s National Officials, with gender representation taken into account.
This is the key difference between Cape Town and an ordinary local municipality.
6. The ANC publicly announces the successful candidate
Only the formal announcement turns a nominee or interviewee into the official ANC Cape Town mayoral candidate. A media report naming a possible contender is not a substitute for this step.
Does the process differ by municipality?
Yes.
Municipality type | Main 2026 ANC process |
Metropolitan municipalities, including Cape Town | Centralised selection; National Officials appoint the mayoral candidate after shortlisting, vetting and interviews. |
Secondary cities | The published rules also place the final appointment with National Officials. |
Local and district municipalities | The relevant Regional Executive Committee recommends three candidates from the nominated councillor pool to Provincial Officials. At least two of the three recommended candidates must be women. Interviews are required before a final decision. |
Specially designated strategic municipalities | National leadership may supervise interviews directly, as it did for five Western Cape municipalities in 2026. |
These arrangements describe the 2026 cycle. They should be checked again before later elections because the ANC may adopt new rules.
Who makes the final decision?
Several ANC structures contribute, but they do not all have equal authority.
ANC branches
Branches identify and nominate ward and proportional-representation candidates, mobilise voters and provide local knowledge. They may also feed names or views into broader nomination processes. However, a branch cannot on its own declare someone the Cape Town mayoral candidate.
ANC Western Cape and provincial structures
The provincial structure helps coordinate the campaign, recommends or comments on candidates and provides information about Western Cape political conditions. In 2026 the province was run by a Provincial Task Team rather than an elected PEC. Its public representatives confirmed that interviews were under way, but national officials supervised Cape Town’s process.
Provincial Executive Committee
Where a PEC is in place, it has roles in the wider councillor-list process and in recommendations for local municipalities. It does not hold the exclusive final authority over a metropolitan mayoral candidate under the 2026 rules.
ANC Electoral Committee
The Electoral Committee oversees rules, screening, disputes and the integrity of the selection system. It reports to the NEC. It also has an observer role in mayoral interviews and hears disputes relating to selection.
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National Executive Committee
The NEC approved the 2026 candidate-selection rules and has final organisational authority over the broader election framework. However, the specific rule for metro and secondary-city mayoral candidates gives the appointment power to the National Officials.
National Officials
For Cape Town, this is the decisive body under the published 2026 rules. National Officials shortlist, interview and select from the authorised nomination pool.
Deployment committee
The ANC’s deployment structures are often discussed when public positions are allocated. However, the published 2026 mayoral-selection chapter does not give a separate deployment committee the final Cape Town selection power. It names the National Officials, interview panels and Electoral Committee. The Electoral Committee and a deployment committee should not be treated as the same body.
Election campaign structures
Campaign structures organise messaging, rallies, ward work and voter mobilisation. They help the candidate campaign but do not replace the formal selection authority.
The internal process is not completely visible to the public. The ANC has published rules and general stages, but it has not released the Cape Town applicants, shortlist, interview scores or panel recommendations.
Previous ANC Cape Town mayoral candidates
The modern City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality was created in December 2000. Earlier Cape municipal structures were different and should not be treated as directly comparable.
Election year | ANC mayoral candidate or campaign face | ANC result | Final mayor | Governing party or coalition |
2000 | Nomaindia Mfeketo was the outgoing mayor of the former central Cape Town structure and became ANC opposition leader in the new metro. Available records do not show a modern-style national announcement comparable to later cycles. | About 37.7%; 77 of 200 seats | Peter Marais | DA majority |
2006 | Nomaindia Mfeketo | About 37.9%; 81 of 210 seats | Helen Zille | DA-led seven-party coalition |
2011 | Tony Ehrenreich | 33.03%; 73 of 221 seats | Patricia de Lille | DA majority |
2016 | Xolani Sotashe | 24.36%; 57 of 231 seats | Patricia de Lille | DA majority |
2021 | Cameron Dugmore was widely presented as the ANC campaign’s mayoral face; councillor Noluthando Makasi became the ANC nominee in the council mayoral vote | 18.59%; 43 of 231 seats | Geordin Hill-Lewis | DA majority |
The vote shares and seat totals were checked against the IEC historical results portal, including its official 2021 Cape Town results summary and 2011 Cape Town report. Older percentages are rounded because the historical reporting formats differ.
The candidate record is supported by contemporary reporting: the ANC formally named Mfeketo in 2006, Tony Ehrenreich in 2011 and Xolani Sotashe in 2016. In 2021, campaign coverage described Cameron Dugmore as the ANC candidate, while reporting from the inaugural council meeting confirms that Noluthando Makasi was nominated during the actual mayoral election.
This 2021 distinction demonstrates why a campaign candidate, council caucus leader and formal council nominee should not automatically be treated as the same thing.
Has the ANC ever governed Cape Town?
Yes, but the answer needs historical context.
Before the unified metro
Nomaindia Mfeketo served as mayor of the former central City of Cape Town structure from 1998 to 2000. That municipality covered only part of today’s metropolitan area. It was replaced when several metropolitan local councils were combined into the present City of Cape Town in December 2000.
The 2000 election and DA government
The DA won 107 of 200 seats in the first unified-city election on 5 December 2000. Peter Marais became the new metro’s first mayor. Gerald Morkel succeeded him in 2001.
Floor-crossing changed control in 2002
South Africa’s former floor-crossing system allowed councillors to change parties during specified periods without losing their seats. After the New National Party broke from the DA, the balance in Cape Town’s council changed.
On 29 October 2002, ANC councillor Nomaindia Mfeketo was elected mayor, replacing Gerald Morkel. The ANC governed through an alliance that emerged from the changed council numbers rather than through an outright ANC victory in the 2000 municipal election.
The ANC-led administration remained in office until the 2006 election.
The DA returned in 2006
In 2006 no party won a majority. The DA secured 90 of 210 seats and the ANC 81. Helen Zille assembled a multiparty coalition and won the council’s mayoral vote.
The coalition was initially narrow, but it established the DA’s return to city government. The DA won an outright majority in 2011 and retained majorities in 2016 and 2021.
The DA has therefore controlled the modern City of Cape Town continuously since March 2006, first through a coalition and then through outright council majorities.
Why Cape Town matters to the ANC
Cape Town matters for reasons that go beyond the mayor’s office.
It governs a large and fast-growing population
Stats SA counted 4,772,846 residents in 2022, up from about 3.74 million in 2011. Rapid growth increases demand for housing, water, sanitation, electricity, roads and public transport.
It is a major economic centre
Cape Town contains the province’s largest concentration of businesses, workers, infrastructure and tax-paying households. It includes the Port of Cape Town, Cape Town International Airport, tourism assets, financial and professional services, manufacturing and a growing technology sector. The City publishes regular Economic Performance Indicators for Cape Town.
It has national symbolic importance
Parliament sits in Cape Town. Control of the city gives a party a national platform and a large, visible example of how it governs.
It is central to the Western Cape contest
The City contains most of the Western Cape’s population. A party seeking to become more competitive in the province cannot ignore the metro.
It contains sharp social and spatial divisions
Cape Town’s political debate is shaped by the distance between well-served suburbs and communities facing overcrowding, informal housing, long commutes, unemployment, crime and uneven access to opportunity. These patterns are rooted partly in apartheid-era spatial planning and continue to influence arguments over land, housing, transport and municipal spending.
For the ANC, stronger performance in townships, informal settlements and working-class Cape Flats communities is necessary but not sufficient. It would also need to gain support in areas where it has historically struggled.
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How is the mayor of Cape Town elected?
Cape Town residents do not vote directly for the mayor.
The process works as follows:
Residents cast two municipal ballots. In a metropolitan municipality, each voter receives a ward ballot and a proportional-representation ballot. The IEC explains the two-ballot metro system.
Ward councillors are elected. The candidate receiving the most valid votes in a ward wins that ward’s seat.
PR seats are calculated. Proportional-representation seats are used to make the overall council composition broadly reflect each party’s share of the combined ward and PR vote, according to the statutory formula.
The IEC declares the council elected. Successful ward and PR candidates become councillors.
Councillors are sworn in and the council holds its first meeting. The council elects its office-bearers, including the speaker and executive mayor.
Candidates are nominated in council. A mayor must be elected from among the council’s members. This requirement appears in section 55 of the Municipal Structures Act.
Councillors vote. A candidate must secure majority support through the council’s voting procedure. If no party controls more than half the seats, parties may negotiate a coalition or support agreement.
Important terms explained
Term | Simple meaning |
Ward vote | A vote for the individual candidate contesting the voter’s local ward. |
PR vote | A vote for a political party. It helps determine the party’s overall representation in council. |
Council seat | One position in the City Council, occupied by an elected ward or PR councillor. |
Mayoral candidate | The person a party presents as its preferred leader of the city. |
Executive mayor | The councillor elected by the council to lead the municipal executive. |
What does a Cape Town mayoral candidate actually do?
Before election day, a mayoral candidate normally:
leads the party’s city campaign;
explains its municipal programme;
debates rival candidates;
represents the party in interviews and public meetings;
campaigns in competitive wards;
helps recruit volunteers and mobilise turnout;
communicates positions on housing, transport, safety and services; and
builds relationships that could matter in a hung council.
The title does not guarantee the office. The party must win enough council seats, or assemble enough coalition support, for its nominee to win the council vote.
The person must also be a councillor when the mayor is elected. A party may promote an outsider during a campaign, but that person would need to enter council legally through a ward or PR seat before being elected executive mayor.
What issues will shape the Cape Town election?
The priorities vary across communities. A resident in Khayelitsha may experience the city differently from a resident in the southern suburbs, Atlantis or the central business district.
The City’s State of Cape Town Report and Integrated Development Plan show the scale and range of the metro’s development pressures.
Housing and informal settlements
Population growth, land costs, informal settlement expansion and a large housing need make housing a central issue. Voters will judge parties on access to serviced land, affordable housing, upgrading, title deeds and the location of new developments.
Gang violence and safety
Gang violence, shootings, extortion and other serious crimes remain major concerns in parts of the Cape Flats. Policing is primarily a national and provincial function, while the City operates metro police, traffic and law-enforcement services. Elections often produce arguments about where responsibility begins and ends.
Public transport
Residents depend on rail, taxis, buses and MyCiTi. Reliability, cost, safety and long commuting times affect access to jobs and education. Transport responsibilities are divided among municipal, provincial and national institutions.
Water security
The 2017–2018 drought made water resilience a permanent political issue. The debate now includes supply diversification, infrastructure maintenance, tariffs, leaks and support for lower-income households.
Electricity
Voters are concerned about prices, outages, informal connections, infrastructure theft and the transition to alternative energy. The City and Eskom serve different parts of the metro, so the responsible provider depends on the area.
Waste collection and sanitation
Refuse removal, illegal dumping, blocked drains and sanitation in informal settlements are highly local service-delivery concerns. Performance can differ from one neighbourhood to another.
Employment and the cost of living
Municipal government does not control the whole economy, but it influences building approvals, infrastructure, local regulation, public transport and investment conditions. Parties will be expected to explain how their plans could expand opportunity without overstating the mayor’s powers.
Spatial inequality
Many low-income residents live far from major job centres. Housing location, public land, transport investment and mixed-income development will remain politically contested.
Governance and corruption
Parties will campaign on audit results, procurement, transparency and the conduct of councillors and officials. Claims should be assessed against formal investigations, court findings and Auditor-General reports rather than campaign allegations alone.
Migration into the city
Cape Town continues to attract people seeking work, education and services. Population growth creates planning pressure, but migrants are not a single political group and should not be blamed collectively for service-delivery failures.
Relations between spheres of government
The City, Western Cape government and national government are controlled by different parties. Disputes over rail, policing, housing, ports, energy and funding can affect delivery. Voters must decide whether political competition improves accountability or produces damaging delays.
What would the ANC need to win Cape Town?
Analysis: The ANC faces a difficult path based on the last municipal result.
In 2021, the ANC won 18.59% and 43 of 231 seats. The DA won 58.26% and 135 seats. A majority in that council required 116 seats. The DA therefore governed without coalition partners.
The 2026 council size and final seat threshold will depend on the legally determined council composition and election result. The 2021 numbers should be used only to show the size of the previous gap.
For the ANC to govern, it would likely need several developments:
Retain and expand its ward base. Losing existing wards would make any citywide recovery harder.
Raise its PR vote. Ward victories alone are not enough; overall party support determines the broad balance of council.
Improve turnout in supportive communities. Registration, election-day organisation and voter enthusiasm matter.
Gain support beyond traditional areas. The ANC cannot reach a council majority by relying only on its strongest township wards.
Present a credible city candidate and team. Voters assess the proposed mayor together with ward candidates, PR candidates and the party’s record elsewhere.
Build trust on municipal delivery. The campaign must persuade voters that the party can manage budgets, infrastructure and administration.
Reduce the DA below a council majority. A coalition route becomes relevant only if no party wins more than half the seats.
Negotiate viable coalition support if the council is hung. The combined parties would need enough councillors to elect and sustain a mayor.
There was no credible, publicly available Cape Town-specific 2026 poll verified for this article. It would be misleading to predict an ANC victory or defeat from national polling because national and municipal voting behaviour can differ substantially.
Could a coalition decide the mayor?
Yes—but only if no party wins a majority of council seats.
In a hung council, parties usually negotiate over a programme, leadership positions, budgets and rules for resolving disputes. A coalition may be a formal governing agreement, while a confidence-and-supply arrangement may provide support for key votes without creating a full coalition.
Smaller parties can hold balance-of-power seats when the two largest blocs are short of a majority. Which parties could play that role in Cape Town cannot be known until the election results and seat allocations are final.
Councillors then vote for the mayor. A party that finishes first in the popular vote does not automatically receive the mayoralty if another grouping can assemble majority support in council.
Coalitions can change when parties withdraw, councillors defect where legally permitted, or confidence motions succeed. Unstable agreements can delay budgets, appointments and service-delivery decisions. A durable agreement therefore requires more than dividing positions among parties.
Cape Town’s own history shows both sides of coalition politics. The ANC returned to power after the 2002 floor-crossing changed the council balance, while a multiparty coalition elected Helen Zille after the hung 2006 election.
Candidate profiles
Current-cycle profile status
No current ANC Cape Town candidate profile can be published responsibly as of 15 July 2026 because the party has not named its candidate or released the interview list.
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No biography, age, education record, policy position or controversy should be attached to an unnamed or speculative contender. This section should be updated only after:
an official ANC announcement;
a formal ANC shortlist;
a candidate’s public declaration acknowledged by the party; or
consistent reporting from reputable organisations supported by named sources.
When a candidate is confirmed, the profile should record the person’s full name, verified age, current position, political background, verified education, previous public offices, Cape Town experience, policy positions, relevant criticism and exact candidate status.
What qualities does the ANC say it wants?
The 2026 rules list both formal requirements and leadership abilities.
The party says mayoral candidates should demonstrate:
proven leadership and decision-making ability;
strong communication and public-speaking skills;
understanding of ANC policy and local-government processes;
strategic planning and problem-solving ability;
capacity to build relationships with stakeholders;
financial-management, budgeting and governance skills;
team leadership;
negotiation and conflict-resolution skills; and
knowledge of municipal legislation.
The rules specifically refer to the Constitution, Municipal Systems Act, Municipal Finance Management Act, Municipal Structures Act, Municipal Electoral Act and other laws affecting municipal government.
The ANC has also publicly emphasised integrity, competence, community support and the ability to restore basic services. Its Western Cape representatives described the desired candidates as ethical, capable and community-centred.
These are the party’s stated standards. Whether the final candidate meets them is a matter for evidence-based scrutiny after the announcement.
ANC support in Cape Town
Election year | ANC vote share | ANC council seats | DA vote share | Final governing arrangement |
2000 | About 37.7% | 77 of 200 | About 52.3% | DA majority |
2006 | About 37.9% | 81 of 210 | About 41.9% | DA-led multiparty coalition |
2011 | 33.03% | 73 of 221 | 60.92% | DA majority |
2016 | 24.36% | 57 of 231 | 66.61% | DA majority |
2021 | 18.59% | 43 of 231 | 58.26% | DA majority |
Sources: IEC historical election-results portal, official 2021 Cape Town results, official 2011 Cape Town results and the IEC’s archived municipal reports. Percentages for 2000 and 2006 are rounded.
The broad trend is clear: ANC support declined across every municipal election from 2006 to 2021. The DA’s share also fell between 2016 and 2021, but it retained a majority of council seats.
This table compares local elections with local elections. National or provincial results in Cape Town can provide political context, but they should not be inserted into the same trend line without explaining the different candidates, issues, turnout and electoral choices.
ANC strongholds and weak areas
IEC ward and voting-district results show that party support is geographically uneven. The IEC election atlas allows readers to inspect these patterns without assuming that every voter in an area supports the same party.
Areas of relative ANC strength
The ANC has historically performed more strongly in parts of Khayelitsha and in several predominantly working-class communities around Gugulethu, Nyanga and Langa. It has also retained support in some informal-settlement voting districts elsewhere in the metro.
Even within these areas, results vary by ward and voting district. Turnout and support for the EFF or smaller parties can change the result.
Competitive Cape Flats communities
Mitchells Plain, Delft, Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis and other Cape Flats communities cannot be treated as one political bloc. The DA, ANC, Patriotic Alliance, GOOD, National Coloured Congress and other parties may perform differently from one neighbourhood or election to another.
Areas of relative ANC weakness
The ANC has generally struggled in much of the southern suburbs, northern suburban growth areas, Atlantic seaboard and central-city electorate, where the DA has often led. Again, ward-level data is more reliable than a broad suburb label.
For the ANC, the electoral challenge is twofold: protect its strongest wards while becoming competitive in communities where its support has been low or declining.
Common questions about ANC Cape Town candidates
Who is the ANC Cape Town mayoral candidate?
No candidate had been officially announced by 15 July 2026. Cape Metro candidates were interviewed on 11 July, but their names were not published.
Has the ANC announced its candidate?
No. The ANC has said an announcement will follow after the selection process is completed.
How does the ANC choose mayoral candidates?
For the 2026 cycle, names came through several nomination channels, including a public process. Applicants were shortlisted, vetted and interviewed. National Officials make the final appointment for metros such as Cape Town.
Who was the ANC candidate in the previous election?
Cameron Dugmore was presented in 2021 campaign coverage as the ANC’s Cape Town mayoral face. When the new council formally elected the mayor, ANC councillor Noluthando Makasi was the party’s nominated candidate. Geordin Hill-Lewis won the vote.
Has the ANC ever governed Cape Town?
Yes. Under the present metro structure, an ANC-led administration governed from October 2002 until March 2006, with Nomaindia Mfeketo as mayor. The change followed floor-crossing and a new council alliance, not an outright ANC election victory.
Is the Cape Town mayor directly elected?
No. Residents elect councillors. The councillors then elect the executive mayor from among themselves.
Can the ANC form a coalition to govern Cape Town?
Yes, if no party wins a council majority and the ANC can assemble majority support with other parties. In 2021 the DA held its own majority, so an opposition coalition could not replace it.
When will the ANC announce its candidate?
The party has said it will announce successful candidates after interviews and vetting, but no exact Cape Town announcement date had been published by 15 July 2026.
Can more than one person seek the ANC nomination?
Yes. Multiple people can be nominated, shortlisted and interviewed. Only the formally selected person becomes the final candidate.
Does ANC national leadership make the final decision?
Yes for Cape Town under the 2026 rules. Metropolitan and secondary-city mayoral candidates are appointed exclusively by the National Officials.
Can the candidate change before the election?
Yes, in exceptional circumstances such as withdrawal, disqualification or a successful internal objection. Any replacement should be confirmed through an official ANC announcement.
What happens if the ANC candidate does not become mayor?
If elected as a councillor, the person may serve in council, lead the opposition caucus or hold another council role. A party may also appoint someone else as caucus leader. The mayoral-candidate title does not itself create a municipal office.
Myth versus fact
Myth 1: Cape Town residents vote directly for a mayor
Fact: Residents vote for a ward candidate and a political party. The elected council chooses the mayor.
Myth 2: The party with the most votes automatically gets the mayor
Fact: Its nominee must win the council vote. In a hung council, a coalition of other parties may elect a different candidate.
Myth 3: Every reported contender is an official candidate
Fact: A person becomes official only after confirmation by the authorised party structure.
Myth 4: A mayoral candidate must already be a councillor when campaigning
Fact: A party can market a person as its preferred mayor before election day. However, the Municipal Structures Act requires the council to elect the executive mayor from among its members, so the person must be a councillor when the mayoral election occurs.
Myth 5: The ANC Western Cape leadership alone chooses the Cape Town candidate
Fact: Provincial structures contribute, but the ANC’s 2026 rules reserve the final appointment of metro candidates for the National Officials.
Myth 6: Winning the most wards guarantees control of the city
Fact: The final balance includes ward and PR seats. Overall council numbers determine who can elect the mayor.
Myth 7: The ANC has never governed Cape Town
Fact: An ANC-led administration governed the unified metro between October 2002 and March 2006. The ANC also led the former central-city structure before the unified metro was created.
Myth 8: A national-election result tells us who will win Cape Town
Fact: Municipal elections use different ballots, candidates, turnout patterns and local issues. National results may offer context but are not a direct forecast.
Conclusion
The ANC had not officially announced its Cape Town mayoral candidate by 15 July 2026. National officials interviewed the Cape Metro candidates on 11 July, but the shortlist and interviewees remained undisclosed.
The announcement matters because the chosen person will lead the ANC’s campaign in South Africa’s legislative capital and explain how the party intends to reverse a long decline in its municipal support.
The candidate alone cannot deliver the mayoralty. Cape Town voters elect a council, and council arithmetic decides who becomes mayor. The ANC would need a major increase in wards and proportional support, or a route to a majority coalition after a hung result.
This article will be updated when the ANC publishes a confirmed candidate, official shortlist, candidate profile, polling or coalition position. After the election, the update section should record the final vote shares, council seats, mayoral vote, winning mayor and any coalition agreement without removing the historical record.
Official external sources
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