Parties cautiously optimistic as vote-counting continues in South Africa’s metros
During the early stages of vote-counting, local governance expert Dr Thina Nzo shared her assessment of the atmosphere at the ROC.
Vukile Dlwati
Parties cautiously optimistic as vote-counting continues in South Africa’s metros
With political parties vying for control of South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities following the counting of votes from 2 to 4 November 2026, some appeared to be making strides in several notable metros.
However, it was not easy to predict the respective outcomes on the first day of vote-counting at the South African Electoral Commission (IEC)’s Results Operations Centre (ROC), set up at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
The executive chairman of the Institute of Election Management Services, Terry Tselane, weighed in on the 2026 local government elections.
“The electorate is changing… the euphoria of 1994 has dissipated.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Johannesburg mayoral hopeful, Helen Zille, said she was ambitious about securing more than 40% of the vote in the metropolitan municipality.
“I would like to put together a stable coalition,” she told Eyewitness News.
Her comments came as the DA declared victory in the City of Cape Town earlier on Thursday.
During the early stages of vote-counting, local governance expert Dr Thina Nzo shared her assessment of the atmosphere at the ROC.
“We are now getting indications of Helen’s efforts when it comes to the City of Joburg. She did put in a lot of effort with campaigning and starting early,” she said, adding that this had brought “a lot of confidence” to the City of Tshwane, the City of Johannesburg and the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Whether you like Helen or not, she made this campaign quite exciting. She was very energetic… She pointed out the lived realities” of the poor and the middle class, Nzo added.
Her comments came shortly after the DA’s victory was declared in the City of Cape Town, extending the party’s two-decade-long control of the metro.
Incoming Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed gratitude to voters, particularly those from the city’s townships.
Speaking during a media briefing on the floor of the ROC, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the party was showing early signs of success in Gauteng.
“It’s a great moment for us as ActionSA… A six-year-old political party, so far, has confirmed 54 wards we’ve won in the three metros, and more are still coming. I am very proud of our teams and the provincial chairperson.
“For me, gratitude goes to the people of Soweto, Alexandra, Orange Farm and those in the suburban areas. Our people have been failed by centuries of oppression and 32 years of ANC (African National Congress) corruption and mismanagement,” he said.
Crime fighter Xolani Khumalo, ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for the City of Ekurhuleni, thanked voters for securing wards for the party in the metro.
“All we are going to do is work hard and deliver the services.”
Meanwhile, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu told Eyewitness News that the party was “quietly confident and anticipating positively”.
She added that she had seen the challenges of service delivery and how they affected communities, noting that the ANC had nevertheless campaigned fiercely.
“We looked at service delivery… But we were realistic,” she said, adding that it was too early to predict the overall outcome.
The IEC has since announced that it had received approximately 800 objections from political parties, adding that they had until 5 pm on Friday to lodge any complaints that could negatively affect the outcome of the municipal elections.
According to the IEC, the final results of the municipal polls are scheduled to be announced on Sunday, 9 November 2026.
At the time of publication, approximately 40% of votes had been counted nationally.