88 of 129 finished councils are hung. These towns are 1 seat short

By Friday midday, 6 November 2026, seats were in for 129 of South Africa's 205 local councils (outside the eight metros). Of those, 88 are hung: no party holds more than half the seats. Only 41 have an outright majority, according to The Outlier's tracker of IEC results (last update 12:36 Africa/Johannesburg).

That is up from this morning's 82 hung of 117 decided councils. Coalition talks are now the path to a mayor in most finished towns.

National vote share is still provisional. With about 82% of voting districts counted, the ANC has 31.9%, the DA 24.3% and the MK Party 9.3% on the PR ballot, according to The Outlier. Rateweb's IEC feed at 12:22 Africa/Johannesburg showed a similar picture: ANC 31.8%, DA 24.2%, MK 9.3% with 79% of voting districts counted.

How many finished councils are hung?

Source: The Outlier, from IEC data. Figures are provisional until the IEC declares the results.

Who has won a majority so far?

Among the 41 finished local councils with a majority party, The Outlier shows:

None of the eight metros is decided yet. Rateweb still lists all eight as counting, with Buffalo City closest to a final seat tally at 98% of voting districts counted.

Towns where the largest party is 1 seat short

In these finished councils the biggest party missed a majority by a single seat. One independent or a small party can decide who elects the mayor. Seat figures are from The Outlier and Rateweb (IEC data, 100% counted):

That list is not a prediction of who will govern. It shows where the seat arithmetic is tightest.

What happens next in a hung council?

Once the IEC declares a council elected, the first council meeting must be called within 14 calendar days. Councillors then elect a speaker and a mayor under the Municipal Structures Act. In a hung council, that usually needs a coalition or a deal on the day. Daily Maverick and EWN set out the same 14-day window.

The IEC must declare metro and local-council results within seven days of the 4 November vote, so by 11 November 2026. Live seat tallies are on the IEC results dashboard, with council-by-council trackers at The Outlier, Rateweb and MzansiData.

How to check your own council

1. Open the IEC local election results dashboard.
2. Search your municipality or ward.
3. Wait until the council shows every voting district counted before treating seats as final.
4. Cross-check with The Outlier councils page or Rateweb for hung vs majority status.

Figures will keep moving as the remaining metros and local councils finish counting.