IEC racing to resolve hundreds of complaints as national vote count reaches 70%
Just over 30% of municipalities have completed the results verification process, with the commission working through outstanding objections over the weekend.
Anelitha Fandese
Election observers at the ROC in Cape Town, Picture: Jared Moorgas/EWN
Jared Moorgas/EWN
About 70% of the national vote has been counted in the 2026 local government elections, but the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is still racing to resolve hundreds of complaints before it can declare the final results.
Just over 30% of municipalities have completed the results verification process, with the commission working through outstanding objections over the weekend.
Sixty-five of South Africa's 213 municipalities have completed the capturing and verification of results.
That's just over 30% of all municipalities. The IEC said it is making progress with the counting process, but still has a substantial amount of work ahead before it can declare the final results.
The commission is also dealing with more than 800 complaints from political parties, with about 106 still outstanding as of Thursday.
Parties have until 17pm on Friday to lodge objections that could materially affect results in particular wards.
There have also been calls for recounts in some areas in KwaZulu-Natal, where disagreements over results led to counting having to restart at some stations. Incidents of disruptions and damaged ballot papers in the Northern Cape are also being investigated.
The IEC is hoping to conclude the results collation process over the weekend, but the resolution of outstanding objections will be critical to that timeline.
The provisional numbers are already pointing to a shifting political landscape, with the African National Congress (ANC) losing ground and the Democratic Alliance (DA) making gains in five of the country's seven metros.
The overall election outcome will also shape coalition negotiations, particularly in municipalities where no single party secures an outright majority.