71% counted: ANC on 31.9%, DA 24.5%, MK third. Friday update
With about 71% of voting districts counted on Friday morning, the ANC has 31.9% of the national vote, the DA 24.5% and the MK Party 9.1%. About 77 of 110 finished councils are hung. Objection deadline is 17:00 today.
By Friday morning, about 71% of voting districts in the 2026 local government elections had been counted. The ANC leads the national vote share on 31.9%, the DA is second on 24.5%, and the MK Party is third on 9.1%, according to IEC figures compiled by Rateweb at 08:01 Africa/Johannesburg on 6 November.
eNCA reported vote capturing at about 70% with similar national shares (ANC 31.89%, DA 24.58%, MK Party 9.06%, EFF 6.17%). Figures remain provisional until the IEC finalises collation and objections.
What do the national numbers look like now?
| Party | Vote share | Votes counted | Seats declared so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 31.9% | 6,166,657 | 1,549 |
| DA | 24.5% | 4,734,208 | 762 |
| MK Party | 9.1% | 1,767,256 | 303 |
| IFP | 4.6% | 885,897 | 173 |
| EFF | 6.2% | 1,197,707 | 144 |
| ActionSA | 4.8% | 924,263 | 30 |
| PA | 2.3% | 448,475 | 128 |
| VF Plus | 3.2% | 614,740 | 81 |
Source: Rateweb national results table from IEC data, 71% of voting districts counted (16,934 of 23,696). About 3,449 of 8,825 council seats had been declared at that snapshot. Shares can still move as Gauteng and parts of KwaZulu-Natal finish counting.
Compared with Thursday afternoon's half-count, the DA's national share has eased while the MK Party has risen, as more KZN and Gauteng districts come in (Rateweb; earlier half-count compiled by ESP).
How many councils are finished, and how many are hung?
Rateweb shows 110 of 213 councils fully counted: 33 with a majority for one party, and 77 hung (no party above half the seats).
That is a big rise from earlier on Thursday, when fewer councils were complete. Hung councils need coalitions or other agreements to elect a mayor and pass a budget. Parties have 14 days after the IEC declares a council's result to elect a speaker and mayor.
Who is leading in each metro so far?
Metro vote shares are still moving because several big cities are only partly counted. Leading parties on the morning snapshot:
| Metro | Leading so far | Share | Districts counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | DA | 60.9% | 51% |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | DA | 44.5% | 81% |
| eThekwini | MK Party | 43.8% | 38% |
| Buffalo City | ANC | 42.1% | 98% |
| Johannesburg | DA | 40.5% | 46% |
| Mangaung | DA | 36.9% | 68% |
| Tshwane | DA | 32.7% | 64% |
| Ekurhuleni | DA | 29.4% | 60% |
Source: Rateweb metro cards from IEC data, 6 November about 08:01. Financial Mail's Friday morning briefing showed similar metro leads on the PR ballot around 07:00. A party still needs more than half the seats in each metro to govern alone.
The Citizen reported that opposition parties are leading in three provinces on the overnight count: the DA in the Western Cape and Gauteng, and the MK Party in KwaZulu-Natal. Turnout so far is estimated at about 54.4% of 29.2 million registered voters (The Citizen).
What about objections and when is the result final?
EWN reported that the IEC is working through more than 800 party complaints, with about 106 still outstanding as of Thursday, and that parties have until 17:00 on Friday, 6 November, to lodge objections that could materially affect ward results.
Only about 65 of 213 municipalities had completed capturing and verification as of that EWN report. The commission hopes to finish collation over the weekend, but outstanding objections can affect the timeline (EWN).
The IEC aims to announce formal results by about 11 November. Until then, treat live dashboards as provisional. Our step-by-step guide to lodging an objection is here: how to object before the 17:00 deadline.
How can you check your own council or ward?
Use the IEC's official results dashboard. Choose your province, then your municipality, then your ward. Independent trackers such as Rateweb and ESP also republish the same IEC files with council-by-council status.
FAQ
What are the national vote shares so far on 6 November?
At about 71% of voting districts counted on Friday morning, the ANC had 31.9%, the DA 24.5% and the MK Party 9.1%, according to IEC figures compiled by Rateweb. Shares are provisional.
How many councils are hung so far?
Of 110 councils fully counted by Friday morning, Rateweb showed 77 hung (no party above half the seats) and 33 with a majority.
When is the objection deadline?
Parties have until 17:00 on Friday, 6 November 2026, to lodge objections that could materially affect ward results, according to EWN.
Who is leading in the metros?
On Friday morning snapshots the DA led Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and Mangaung; the MK Party led eThekwini; and the ANC led Buffalo City. Counts are incomplete in several metros.
Where can I check official results?
Use the IEC results dashboard at results.elections.org.za. Choose your province, municipality and ward.