Government10 November 2026

DA is 8 seats short in Nelson Mandela Bay. The deals that reach 61

Final IEC results give the DA 53 of Nelson Mandela Bay's 120 seats and the ANC 32. Here are all 18 parties' seats, which coalition deals reach the 61 needed to govern, and when the new mayor must be elected.

By Reported Team

Bar chart of final Nelson Mandela Bay council seats: DA 53, ANC 32, EFF 7, PA 4, SACP 4, FF Plus 3, UDM 3, ActionSA 2, MK Party 2, Mayibuye Civic 2, eight others 1 each, with the 61-seat majority line — Reported chart from IEC results as reported by SABC News, News24 and ESP

The DA is the biggest party in Nelson Mandela Bay but is eight seats short of running the metro alone. The IEC's final results give it 53 of the 120 council seats, against 32 for the ANC and 7 for the EFF. A party or coalition needs 61 seats to govern (SABC News; News24).

Eighteen parties will sit in the new council, up from a council where the DA and ANC held 48 seats each after 2021 (SABC News; Daily Maverick).

What are the final seats in Nelson Mandela Bay?

Party	Seats	Ward + PR
DA	53	28 + 25
ANC	32	32 + 0
EFF	7	0 + 7
Patriotic Alliance	4	0 + 4
SACP	4	0 + 4
FF Plus	3	0 + 3
UDM	3	0 + 3
ActionSA	2	0 + 2
MK Party	2	0 + 2
Mayibuye Civic Movement	2	0 + 2
ACDP, ATM, PAC, UPPA, AIC, Democratic Movement, National Alliance, Afrika Mayibuye Movement	1 each	0 + 1 each
Total	120	60 + 60

Sources: News24, Daily Maverick, ESP ward-by-ward results from IEC data. The IEC results dashboard has the official figures.

The DA took 44.17% of the vote, up from about 39% in 2021, and won 28 of the 60 wards. Five of those, wards 15, 16, 25, 33 and 38, were ANC wards before. They cover areas including New Brighton, Booysen Park, Sydenham, North End, Kleinskool and Amsterdamhoek (News24).

The ANC fell to 25.48%. It won all 32 of its seats in wards and got no PR seats (Daily Maverick). Turnout was 52.4% of about 637,000 registered voters (ESP).

Who is the DA talking to?

The DA says it has approached the FF Plus, ActionSA and the UDM, and possibly the ACDP. DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal and provincial leader Andrew Whitfield have ruled out working with the EFF or the MK Party (Daily Maverick; News24).

Odendaal told Daily Maverick he believed the DA could "form a government with very few partners" (Daily Maverick).

Which deals reach 61 seats?

This is simple seat arithmetic from the final results, not a prediction.

Possible deal	Seats	Majority?
DA + FF Plus + ActionSA + ACDP	59	No, 2 short
DA + FF Plus + ActionSA + UDM	61	Yes, exactly
DA + FF Plus + ActionSA + UDM + ACDP	62	Yes
DA + ANC	85	Yes
Every party except the DA and FF Plus	64	Yes
Every party except the DA, FF Plus, ActionSA and ACDP	61	Yes, exactly

Seat counts from News24 and SABC News.

The DA's preferred partners alone (FF Plus, ActionSA and ACDP) leave it on 59. The UDM's three seats are what take that group over the line, which makes it the key small party in the metro.

An ANC-led government without the DA is possible on paper, Daily Maverick noted, but it would need almost every other party in council, including the EFF, PA, SACP, UDM and all the one-seat parties (Daily Maverick). The Herald reported that the UDM has ruled out working with the ANC in Eastern Cape coalition talks (The Herald). Without those three seats, that bloc can't reach 61 unless ActionSA or the ACDP joins it.

A DA and ANC deal would clear the line easily. The ANC rejected a similar DA offer in 2023 (Daily Maverick). The ANC says its national top seven leaders will handle coalition talks (Daily Maverick).

When will Nelson Mandela Bay get a new mayor?

The new council must hold its first meeting within 14 days of being declared elected. With results declared on Sunday, 8 November, that points to 22 November 2026. At that meeting councillors elect the speaker and the executive mayor (Municipal Structures Act, section 29; Inside Politics).

Residents don't vote for the mayor directly. The person who gets a majority of the 120 councillors' votes in that meeting becomes mayor, which is why the 61-seat line matters.

Can I see the results for my ward?

Yes. The IEC results dashboard shows results by municipality, ward and voting district. ESP also lists all 60 Nelson Mandela Bay wards from IEC data.

FAQ

How many seats does the DA have in Nelson Mandela Bay?

53 of the 120 council seats, made up of 28 ward seats and 25 PR seats, after the 2026 local elections.

How many seats are needed to govern Nelson Mandela Bay?

61 of the 120 seats. No party won that many, so the council is hung and a coalition is needed.

How many seats did the ANC win in Nelson Mandela Bay?

32 seats, all of them ward seats, down from 48 after the 2021 elections.

When will Nelson Mandela Bay elect a new mayor?

The new council must meet within 14 days of being declared elected, which points to 22 November 2026. Councillors elect the mayor at that meeting.