2026 South African municipal elections: Key updates you should know

Ahead of each general election of Municipal Councils, a number of dependencies must occur in sequence to ensure the successful election of representatives. The trigger for preparations is the Minister responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) publishing formulae for the determination of the numbers of councillors for the three categories of municipalities. In turn, the Members of the Executive Committees (MECs) responsible for Local Government apply the formulae to determine the number of councillors for each municipality in their respective provinces. Following the determination of the number of councillors, the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) starts the process of demarcating the ward boundaries.

Currently, the Minister and MECs have performed their roles. This has enabled the MDB to launch the ward delimitation public consultation process on 3 April 2025 and thus marking the start of the delimitation exercise. That process will culminate with the MDB handing over to the Commission the ward boundaries at the end of October 2025. Those wards represent the political boundaries within which the next general elections of municipal councils will be contested. In corresponding elections in 2021, there were four thousand six hundred wards (4 600).

On receipt of the ward boundaries, the Electoral Commission will in turn undertake an assessment to ensure that the boundaries of its network of 23 292 voting districts are aligned to the wards. In instances where, as a result of the demarcation of wards, voting districts no longer accord to the wards, the Electoral Commission will undertake projects to communicate and re-register the affected voters to ensure that they are registered in wards of ordinary residence.

The Commission has begun preparations for the next general elections of municipal council informed by among others the following:

• In terms of the legal scheme, the term of a municipal council subsists for a period of five (5) years,
• an election must be held within ninety (90) days of the end of the term,
• the end of the term is calculated from the day following the date of the last general elections. The elections of the current municipal councils were held on 1 November 2021,
• on that reckoning, the elections must be held between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027.

The authority to set a date and call an election is within the statutory remit of the Minister of CoGTA. In this regard, preliminary consultations between the Commission and the Minister have commenced.

Electronic Voting

In March 2025, the Commission hosted an international conference on the feasibility of electronic voting in South Africa. At the conference, the Commission launched a Discussion Document to start a country discussion on the use of technology in elections. The policy discussion document assessed, among others, the following:

• Reasons for considering the introduction of e-voting in South Africa.
• The relevant constitutional principles, policy and legal framework that must precede the introduction of e-voting in the country.
• Available e-voting options, their technologies, and cost implications.
• Relative benefits and challenges of the diverse options, bearing in mind the South African context.
• Attitudes and concerns of the public and key stakeholders regarding e-voting.
• Opinions and preferences of marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities and rural communities.
• Experiences of jurisdictions that have successfully implemented e-voting and those that have stopped using e-voting.

The key lessons from the conference are that:

• Public trust is key in the successful adoption of e-voting. It is thus exceedingly important that the process is both accessible and inclusive.
• Successful e-voting systems require robust, reliable technological infrastructure, including secure servers, stable power sources, and reliable internet connectivity.
• Implementation of e-voting must help the country transcend some of its institutionalised challenges e.g., the digital divide, low levels of internet penetration in certain social settings, illiteracy, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
• E-voting must enhance the efficiency of election administration, transparency in elections, trust in electoral outcomes, and improved voter convenience.
• E-voting may contribute to increased participation by certain demographics. But in and of itself, e-voting will not impact the turnout of persons who have opted out of electoral processes. In other words, persons who do not see value in voting will not vote just because there is a new voting platform.
• A thorough analysis of the total costs associated with e-voting must be undertaken. It must not be accepted as fact that e-voting would reduce the costs of administering elections.

Armed with the conference lessons, the Commission is rolling out a six-month engagement period to receive views from stakeholders, voters, and interest groups. The submissions will enhance and inform the final policy document on e-voting in the country.

Timeline of public engagement:

It is important to note that the Commission has not yet made a decision on the use of e-voting.

Submissions can be sent to the following email:

• Email: [email protected]
•  Subject: E-Voting Consultation

Election of Representatives

The Electoral Commission is responsible for the election of councillors to municipal councils in between general elections. There are two categories of councillors. The first category is ward councillors. These are elected to represent a defined geographical area – ward. They can be nominated by a political party or be an individual not associated with a party- independent candidate. The only way to elect or replace a ward councillor is by way of an election in the concerned ward.

From June 2024 to date, the Electoral Commission has administered one hundred and thirty-three (133) by-elections to replace ward councillors. Historically, in the period following a general election, parties change representatives from local to provincial or to the national assembly. This accounts for the majority of the councillors that were replaced since the general elections in May last year. The highest number of vacancies arose in municipalities in Limpopo with twenty-eight (28) vacancies, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with twenty-seven (27) vacancies, and the Western Cape with sixteen (16) vacancies. Over the past 15 years, the average number of by-elections administered in a financial year stands at hundred and twelve (112).

The second category of councillors are Proportional Representative (PR) councillors who are elected from lists of parties to represent the party in the municipal council in proportion to the votes each party receives in an election. In the period since elections last year the Electoral Commission has replaced four hundred and twenty five (425) proportional representative councillors. On average the Electoral Commission replaces three hundred and fifty three (353) PR councillors in a financial year.

Cancellation of Registration of Inactive Parties

The Electoral Commission is the registrar of political parties. Currently, there are six hundred and nine (609) registered political parties of which 383 are registered on a national level while the balance of 226 are either registered provincially or on municipal level. Registration as a party confers certain benefits. Among those is that the Electoral Commission is obliged to protect the registered names, logos, and abbreviated names of registered political parties.

On 17 February 2025, the Electoral Commission, in terms of section 17 of the Electoral Commission Act 51 of 1996, gave notice, in writing, to one hundred and ninety-two (192) political parties of its (Commission’s) intention to cancel the registration of those parties.

There are certain obligations imposed on registered parties. Included in those is that a party that is not represented in a Municipal Council, Provincial Legislature, or the National Assembly must indicate to the Commission its continued existence. This prescribed indication must be received before the end of January each year.

Following the expiry of the date for the hundred and ninety-two (192) parties to make representations, the Electoral Commission provides an update as follows:

• Hundred and thirty-six (136) political parties have made representations to preserve their status as registered parties.
• Three (3) political parties have requested the Commission to cancel their registrations,
• Fifty-three (53) political parties did not respond to the invitation to make representation.

Once the Commission has made decisions in respect of all those parties, the register of parties will be updated. The cancellation of the registration of inactive political parties is necessary to ensure that only active political parties remain on the register. The cancellation of inactive parties will also free the usage of names, abbreviated names, logos, and colour schemes for aspirant parties. During the last National and Provincial Elections in 2024 (NPE2024) only seventy (70) or 16% of the four hundred and forty-nine (449) parties registered nationally and provincially contested the elections. Of the seventy (70) parties that contested only twenty (20) parties received enough votes to gain representation.

Schools democracy Program and Tertiary Institutions program

As we reflect on the strength of our electoral democracy, the Commission continues with efforts to engage South Africa’s youth in electoral processes, ensuring that young persons understand their power and responsibility as voters. According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), from 1996 to 2022, the total youth population in South Africa rose from 14.7 million to 21.6 million, which translates to an increase of 6.9 million persons. Young persons in the age cohort 18 to 34 years old thus constitute a third of the total population of the Republic. Concerning however, is that the rate of registration by this demographic has not kept pace with their growth.  As at 22 April 2025, the total number of registered voters stood at 27 654 830. Young persons in age category 18 to 35 year old account for 28% or 7,9 million of the registered voters.

Of the approximately 9 473 councillors elected in LGE2021, only 1 421 or 15%   were persons younger than 35 years of age. Similarly, only 93 out of the 889 representatives elected following NPE2024 were young persons.

In recognition of the youthful character of the country’s population, the Commission persists with civic democracy drives targeting young learners and students across the country. The drive will focus on all university campuses and 180 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and private colleges nationwide, ensuring that young people are not only informed but also actively participate in electoral processes. Additionally, the Commission is deploying campus-based registration ambassadors to assist students at the various tertiary institutions to register and update their registration details. This is crucial for ensuring that students are correctly registered and can vote at the correct voting station in future elections.

The Commission has already reached out to no fewer than four hundred high schools in the month of April, encouraging students to register and to understand the importance of their participation in elections. This effort is part of a broader goal to foster a culture of civic responsibility.

Mindful that youth in education institutions do not represent the totality of the youth milieu, the Electoral Commission’s Civic and Democracy Education (CDE) program continues to play a pivotal role in engagement with citizens. In the period leading to NPE2024, the Electoral Commission hosted no less than 204 000 face to face civic and voter education events. Research indicates that a substantial number of voters still prefer to receive content during face-to-face interactive workshops.

Through these efforts, the Electoral Commission is not only facilitating the mechanics of voting but also empowering citizens to take ownership of their political rights. The Electoral Commission remains committed to creating a future where every citizen understands the power of their vote and is actively involved in the democratic process.

Voter Registration is Continuous

The Constitution guarantees free and fair elections on the basis of universal adult suffrage underpinned by a common voters’ roll. The Commission has since 2021 implemented an additional modality to register voters. The introduction of online self-voter registration has proven to be effective, with young individuals turning to this platform to register. This advancement represents an important achievement in enhancing the accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness of the voter registration process for all citizens.

The implementation of online self-voter registration is positively impacting the maintenance of the voters’ roll and the currency of the voter’s information on the roll. Since June last year, the Electoral Commission has interacted with four hundred and eight thousand six hundred and fifteen voters (408 615) across its voter registration platforms. Two hundred and fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight (258 838) were persons who were registering as voters for the first time. The majority of whom were young persons.

We urge all eligible South Africans to use this modality to register, and those who are already registered to check and, if necessary, update their address details to ensure that they continue to shape affairs of their communities by participating in by-elections in wards where they are ordinarily resident.

Political Funding

Political Representatives Fund (PRF) Allocation for Political Parties Represented in the National and Provincial Legislatures

NPE2024 did not yield any representation for independent candidates. Consequently, only political parties are represented in the national and provincial legislatures. These parties will be allocated a total budget of R335 521 000 from the national fiscus for the current 2025/26 financial year.

This amount will be distributed among twenty (20) represented political parties over the four quarters of the current financial year. Each quarter, the Electoral Commission will receive and distribute an estimated R83 880 250 among the twenty political parties in terms of a set formula of 90% proportional and 10% equitable allocation.

2024/25 Political Representatives Fund (PRF) Annual Report (AR)

The Commission has finalised the 2023/24 Political Representatives Fund (PRF) Annual Report. The report is currently being audited by the Auditor General. The audit outcomes will give an assessment of how the Commission has discharged its responsibilities in the management of the Political Funding Act, 2018. The Annual Report will also contain extracts of audited financial statements of the different political parties, including the fifteen parties that were represented prior to the 2024 national and provincial elections.

Quarter 4 of 2024/25 Donations Disclosure Report

The fourth quarter donations Disclosure Report of political parties will be issued during the month of May 2025. This report will cover the period from 1 January – 31 March 2025. Little fundraising and donation activity was observable during the past two quarters. Fewer political parties declared donations above the R100 000 threshold compared to the period leading to the 2024 NPE.

Symposium on Political Funding in South Africa

After four years of implementing the Political Funding Act, 2018, the Electoral Commission will host the first-ever symposium on political funding in South Africa. The symposium will be held under the theme: Sustaining Multi-Party Democracy through Enhancing Political Funding Regulation in South Africa. The symposium will traverse topics such as the influence of money in politics, transparency in funding, accountability, and the desirability of reforms to strengthen the regulatory framework.

The symposium will draw participants from a variety of sectors covering politics, academia, legislative bodies, the executive, non-governmental and non-profit, media, targeted international and/or intergovernmental organisations (IGO) and business.

The symposium will take place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, on 18 and 19 June 2025.

As we approach Freedom Day and on the occasion of the 31^st anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections on 27 April, the Electoral Commission joins the nation in celebrating this moment of democratic breakthrough. The day does not only mark a break with our past, but it also memorialises the beginning of our nations journey towards a democratic society.

For its part in strengthening constitutional democracy, the Electoral Commission will endeavour to ensure the delivery of credible, free and fair elections.

ISSUED BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Ensuring free and fair elections

Centurion

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