South Africa votes in local elections testing ANC grip

South Africans voted on Wednesday in local elections that will test the African National Congress's grip on power and decide control of major cities.

Polling stations opened at 7:00 am and were due to close at 9:00 pm. Voting was largely incident-free more than four hours after polls opened.

More than 29 million voters are registered. The last municipal elections in 2021 drew turnout of 46 percent, and the electoral commission said 1.4 million of 2.6 million people eligible for early voting cast ballots on Monday and Tuesday.

The ANC is still projected to emerge as the largest party nationally, but polls point to further erosion of its support. The party fell below 50 percent in the 2021 municipal elections and won just over 40 percent in the 2024 national vote, forcing it into a power-sharing government with nine other parties.

The Democratic Alliance is targeting Johannesburg, while former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party is mounting a challenge for Durban. If no party wins outright majorities in key cities, the elections could lead to another round of coalition negotiations.

Final results are expected on November 8. They will help show the political landscape before the next general election in 2029 and before the ANC chooses a new leader at its December 2027 conference.