Before South Africans vote in the 2026 local government elections, another contest must be settled: who makes it onto the candidate lists, who is genuinely equipped to govern and which parties will have enough support to assemble stable councils? Naledi Moleo speaks to elections analyst Wayne Sussman about the nomination deadline, candidate requirements and the difference between being legally eligible and being ready to manage a municipality.
Wayne examines what recent by-elections may be signalling, including the ANC’s rural resilience, the Patriotic Alliance’s growth and MK’s impact in eThekwini. He also
breaks down the coalition arithmetic in Johannesburg, turnout battles in Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay, the pressure facing the DA in Cape Town and the relationship between national and municipal alliances. The episode closes with a practical explanation of the two or three ballots voters can expect on 4 November.
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Chapter List
00:00 Why South Africa’s local elections matter
01:18 What the candidate deadline actually locks in
04:47 ANC mayoral options and the factional battle
10:09 Legal eligibility versus readiness to govern
16:28 What the latest by-elections are signalling
23:32 Johannesburg’s difficult coalition arithmetic
27:07 Why turnout could decide Tshwane
30:05 Cape Town’s DA fatigue and the PA test
32:33 The turnout battle for Nelson Mandela Bay
35:42 eThekwini’s extraordinary 75-to-zero projection
40:34 Will the GNU reshape local coalitions?
43:51 Two ballots or three? What voters will receive
