These figures count every seat in every municipal council in South Africa, as constituted after the 2021 local government elections and subsequent by-elections and changes recorded to date.
| Party | Council seats |
|---|---|
| ANC | 4 977 |
| DA | 1 649 |
| EFF | 1 080 |
| IFP | 617 |
| VF PLUS | 224 |
| PA | 94 |
| ACTIONSA | 92 |
| NFP | 56 |
| ATM | 55 |
| UDM | 53 |
| INDEPENDENT | 49 |
| ACDP | 48 |
| GOOD | 47 |
| AIC | 44 |
| F4SD | 34 |
| ABC | 25 |
| PAC | 22 |
| MAP16 | 22 |
| ISANCO | 15 |
| COPE | 14 |
Seats are not the same as control
A party can hold the most seats in a council without governing it, if the others form a coalition against it. That is why the totals above do not translate directly into the number of municipalities each party runs.
How the seats are spread by province
| Province | Municipalities | Coalition governed | Clean audits | Average financial health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 39 | 6 | 8 | 49.7 |
| Free State | 23 | 5 | 0 | 33.9 |
| Gauteng | 11 | 6 | 2 | 44.0 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 54 | 10 | 4 | 49.8 |
| Limpopo | 27 | 6 | 2 | 52.4 |
| Mpumalanga | 20 | 1 | 1 | 41.0 |
| North West | 22 | 1 | 0 | 36.7 |
| Northern Cape | 31 | 3 | 1 | 39.1 |
| Western Cape | 30 | 17 | 21 | 71.6 |
Why the local picture differs from the national one
Local government results rarely mirror national ones. Municipal elections turn heavily on local performance, turnout is lower, and independents and small local parties win seats that would be invisible in a national contest. Several parties in the table above hold council seats without any national parliamentary representation at all.
The mixed electoral system reinforces this. Roughly half of council seats are won in wards, where a locally known candidate can beat a larger party’s nominee, and the proportional half then corrects the overall balance. The seat allocation explainer sets out the mechanics.
Before the 2026 elections
All 257 councils are up for election on 4 November 2026. The composition recorded on each municipality profile describes the position going into that election, and will be updated as results are declared.
Common questions
Does the party with the most seats always govern?
No. Governing requires a majority in the council, so where no party has one, government depends on which parties agree to work together. A party can be the largest and still be in opposition.
Can independents hold the balance of power?
Yes, and in several municipalities they do. Independents contest ward seats, and in a finely balanced council a small number of them can determine who governs.
Where do these figures come from?
Council composition is based on information published by the Electoral Commission following the 2021 local government elections, updated for subsequent changes recorded to date.
Figures on this page come from National Treasury, Statistics South Africa and the Auditor-General, as set out in the sources and methodology. Read the methodology