JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — 6 November 2026. The ANC remained ahead in South Africa's incomplete municipal-election count on Friday morning, but new council-level results revealed changes in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The MK Party had secured outright majorities in Richmond and Impendle, according to reporting based on Electoral Commission figures. Meanwhile, the newly formed Service Delivery Party emerged as the largest party in Victor Khanye without winning an outright majority.
The figures in this report reflect information published by 08:00 SAST on 6 November. They are a dated snapshot, not South Africa's final municipal-election results.
The ANC led a partial nationwide count, while the MK Party had won outright majorities in at least two KwaZulu-Natal councils. In Mpumalanga, the Service Delivery Party became the largest party in Victor Khanye but lacked enough seats to govern alone. Verification and counting continued elsewhere.
ANC ahead nationally, but counting remains incomplete
A SABC election update published at 05:12 SAST reported that approximately 68% of votes had been captured nationally by 03:00 SAST. At that point the African National Congress (ANC) stood at 31.72%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 24.94%. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) had 8.74%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had 6.11%.
Those are time-specific partial figures. Municipal elections choose separate local councils, not one government for the entire country. A party's aggregated vote percentage therefore cannot establish which party controls Johannesburg, eThekwini or any particular district. The geography of completed counts, the type of ballot and the number of outstanding results can all change the picture.
SABC said the Northern Cape had become the first province to complete its capturing process. It also described KwaZulu-Natal as a major battleground, with the MK Party making gains and several councils appearing likely to require coalitions.
MK Party secures Richmond and Impendle
In KwaZulu-Natal, Eyewitness News reported, citing the Electoral Commission's dashboard, that the MK Party had secured majorities in both Richmond and Impendle. The two municipalities were previously under outright ANC control. These outcomes are more concrete than a province-wide early percentage because they concern identifiable councils.
ELECTIONS MONITORING
South Africa Election 2026: ANC Leads, MK Wins KZN Councils
Nov 6, 2026
Nov 6, 2026
6 min read
Published
Updated:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — 6 November 2026. The ANC remained ahead in South Africa's incomplete municipal-election count on Friday morning, but new council-level results revealed changes in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The MK Party had secured outright majorities in Richmond and Impendle, according to reporting based on Electoral Commission figures. Meanwhile, the newly formed Service Delivery Party emerged as the largest party in Victor Khanye without winning an outright majority.
The figures in this report reflect information published by 08:00 SAST on 6 November. They are a dated snapshot, not South Africa's final municipal-election results.
The ANC led a partial nationwide count, while the MK Party had won outright majorities in at least two KwaZulu-Natal councils. In Mpumalanga, the Service Delivery Party became the largest party in Victor Khanye but lacked enough seats to govern alone. Verification and counting continued elsewhere.
ANC ahead nationally, but counting remains incomplete
A SABC election update published at 05:12 SAST reported that approximately 68% of votes had been captured nationally by 03:00 SAST. At that point the African National Congress (ANC) stood at 31.72%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 24.94%. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) had 8.74%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had 6.11%.
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Those are time-specific partial figures. Municipal elections choose separate local councils, not one government for the entire country. A party's aggregated vote percentage therefore cannot establish which party controls Johannesburg, eThekwini or any particular district. The geography of completed counts, the type of ballot and the number of outstanding results can all change the picture.
SABC said the Northern Cape had become the first province to complete its capturing process. It also described KwaZulu-Natal as a major battleground, with the MK Party making gains and several councils appearing likely to require coalitions.
MK Party secures Richmond and Impendle
In KwaZulu-Natal, Eyewitness News reported, citing the Electoral Commission's dashboard, that the MK Party had secured majorities in both Richmond and Impendle. The two municipalities were previously under outright ANC control. These outcomes are more concrete than a province-wide early percentage because they concern identifiable councils.
A separate TimesLIVE report gave Richmond's result as 10 of the council's 17 seats, equivalent to a clear majority. The party was contesting its first local-government election, having already established strong support in KwaZulu-Natal during the 2024 national election.
That does not settle the fate of eThekwini, one of the country's biggest metropolitan municipalities. The distribution of remaining seats and the final verified council outcome will determine whether one party can govern alone or whether negotiations become necessary.
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New Service Delivery Party emerges in Mpumalanga
A SABC election report published at 07:16 SAST on Friday documented another local development: the newly established Service Delivery Party (SDP) had won 15 council seats across Mpumalanga, based on the count available to the broadcaster.
In Victor Khanye Local Municipality, the SDP received approximately 39% of the vote, translating to seven council seats. The party became the largest individual party there, but seven seats in a 17-seat council fall short of the nine needed for a majority. Being the largest party is not the same as being confirmed to govern, and the eventual council leadership may depend on negotiations.
The result is notable because the SDP entered the race as a newer political organisation rather than an established national contender. It also gives residents a specific question for the weeks ahead: which grouping will be able to form a working administration and deliver on its campaign commitments?
Why coalition arithmetic matters for public services
South Africa's municipal governments shape essential day-to-day services, including refuse removal, municipal roads and aspects of water and electricity provision. A council with no outright majority must find sufficient support for budgets, leadership appointments and decisions that affect households and businesses.
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The Electoral Commission's explanation of its counting and auditing process makes clear that counting takes place at voting stations, results slips are recorded and captured with quality controls, and the figures undergo independent auditing. An early broadcast graphic or circulated screenshot cannot replace a properly verified declaration.
Readers looking for the rules behind the ballots can use XTRAfrica's 2026 election-day guide. The earlier special-vote guide explains voting on 2 and 3 November, while the Cape Town mayoral selection explainer outlines why voters choose councillors rather than electing a metropolitan mayor directly.
What to check as the count advances
Election results should always be read alongside their publication time, reporting area and ballot type. A national-looking percentage may refer to aggregated votes recorded so far; a council seat allocation is a different measure. Nor does a party's lead on a live results page automatically give it enough councillors to govern.
As of Friday, 6 November 2026, at 8:00 AM South African time, the latest available election updates indicated that vote collation was continuing.
The next significant developments will depend on official declarations from South Africa's Electoral Commission (IEC) and any subsequently confirmed coalition agreements.
