Local Election Coalitions: Which Councils Could Be up for Grabs?

Local election coalitions: Which councils could be up for grabs?

Local election coalitions are likely to decide who runs many of South Africa’s towns and cities, long after the last ballot is counted. In councils where no party wins more than half the seats, the final decision will be made in negotiating rooms. Around 14.5 million people voted in the local government elections, including about 1.5 million special votes. By law, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must declare the final results with…

It's coalition time: Here's what the major political parties are saying so far

With all but one of the country’s major metros lacking a clear winner and hundreds of municipal councils hung, the focus has shifted to coalition negotiations. A hung council arises when no political party wins more than 50% of the seats in that legislature, and parties need to form a partnership to govern. Key to this is choosing a speaker of the council and a mayor. A number of parties, including the DA, have confirmed that preliminary coaliti…

Horse-trading looms as hung councils soar after local elections - Inside Politics

More than 120 municipal councils are heading for coalition negotiations after Wednesday's local government elections, with nearly two-thirds of councils where counting has been completed failing to produce an outright majority.

South Africa Records 122 Hung Councils as Coalition Deals Threaten to Decide Who Controls Municipalities

Political negotiations are expected to play a decisive role in determining who governs many South African municipalities following the 2026 local government elections, particularly in councils where no party has secured an outright majority. With 122 hung councils recorded so far, political parties will need to negotiate coalition agreements or arrange support from other parties […]