South Africa's ANC suffers worst election result as decline continues

Cape Town South Africa's African National Congress party faced its worst election results ever on Sunday (November 8, 2026) and a new low point on its gradual decline in popularity as voters rebuked it for a failure to deliver basic services like water and electricity in towns and cities.

The once-dominant ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela — had received around 30% of the vote in Wednesday's (November 4, 2026) local government elections with 99% of ballots counted.

The final results were expected late on Sunday (November 8, 2026), according to the Independent Electoral Commission.