39 of 54 decided councils are hung. Is yours one of them?
With seats in for 54 of 205 councils, 39 are hung and only 15 have a majority party, according to IEC data tracked by The Outlier. What it means and how to check your council.
Most of the councils that have finished counting have no majority party. By Thursday afternoon, seats had been allocated in 54 of South Africa's 205 local councils, and 39 of them were hung, according to The Outlier's tracker of IEC results.
Only 15 decided councils had a party with a majority of seats: the ANC in 11, the DA in two, the MK Party in one and another party in one (The Outlier).
Which councils are hung so far?
| Council | Province | Biggest party (seats) |
|---|---|---|
| Mpofana | KwaZulu-Natal | MK, 4 of 11 |
| eNdumeni (Dundee) | KwaZulu-Natal | MK, 5 of 15 |
| eMadlangeni (Utrecht) | KwaZulu-Natal | IFP, 4 of 11 |
Source: The Outlier council list, from IEC data. These are examples from the full list, which updates as seats are allocated.
KwaZulu-Natal has the most contested picture, with the IFP and MK Party leading in many councils that are still counting, while Richmond is one of the few the MK Party has won outright (The Outlier).
Who is leading in the councils still counting?
Among councils without final seats, the ANC was leading in 86, the DA in 29, the IFP in 17 and the MK Party in 15 (The Outlier). Leads in councils with a small share counted can still flip.
What does a hung council mean for you?
No single party can pass a budget or elect a mayor alone, so parties must form a coalition or back a minority government. The council's first sitting, where the mayor and speaker are elected, must happen within 14 days of the results being declared. Reported has a full explainer on what happens in a hung council.
Where can you check your own council?
The official source is the IEC results dashboard, which shows councils completed and seats allocated. The IEC is expected to declare final results around 11 November.
FAQ
How many councils are hung after the 2026 local elections?
By Thursday afternoon, 39 of the 54 councils with seats allocated were hung. 151 councils were still counting.
What happens in a hung council?
Parties must form a coalition or minority government to elect a mayor at the first council sitting, which must take place within 14 days of results being declared.
When are final results announced?
The IEC is expected to declare final results around 11 November 2026.