South Africa's 2026 local government elections are producing a closely contested early result, with the African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) separated by less than one percentage point.

According to figures from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the ANC had secured 31.36% of the national vote by 08:01 on Thursday, 5 November.

The DA followed closely with 31.04%, leaving just 0.32 percentage points between the two parties.

However, with only 18% of votes counted at that stage, the results remain preliminary and could change significantly.

ANC leads DA by just 10,627 votes

The latest figures reported by The South African show the ANC with 1,039,116 votes, compared with the DA's 1,028,489.

This leaves a difference of just 10,627 votes between the country's two largest political parties.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party occupied third place nationally with 5.43%, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 4.93%.

The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) stood at 4.45%, while the Patriotic Alliance (PA) had secured 4.35%.

DA shows early strength in Gauteng

While the ANC leads the early national count, the DA has recorded strong initial results in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

Early provincial figures showed the DA leading in Gauteng, with more than 40% of votes counted in its favour among the results reported at that stage.

Meanwhile, the MK Party was leading the early count in KwaZulu-Natal, ahead of the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

These provincial figures are not final, with many voting districts still outstanding.

Millions of votes still to be counted

The IEC continues to capture and verify results following Wednesday's municipal elections.

With approximately 82% of the national vote still outstanding at 08:01, the standings could shift as more results are confirmed.

The national percentages also do not determine which parties will control individual municipalities. Council seats and local results will determine where parties can govern independently or require coalition agreements.

The IEC is expected to announce the final election results within seven days.

For now, the narrow margin between the ANC and DA has placed both parties firmly in the spotlight as South Africans await the next round of results.