South Africa elections: ANC marks its worst-ever performance

The African National Congress, the party of late Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela, slumped to its worst-ever result in South Africa's municipal election. The voters blame the ANC for water and electricity shortages. South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) turned in a historically poor election performance , with the the final tally published on Sunday giving them less than 31% of the vote in Wednesday's municipal polls .

The ANC also lost its majority in six of the eight metropolitan regions, South Africa 's Electoral Commission said on Saturday. With no outright winner declared in several major cities, politicians are expected enter tough coalition talks to form municipal governments. While the ANC remains the most popular party in the country, they have been struggling with growing backlash from voters.

In 2026, many South Africans are frustrated by water and electricity shortages, with the ANC taking the blame for the poor state of municipalities. High unemployment, crime, and widespread corruption are high on the public agenda.