547 of South Africa's 732 Registered Political Parties Will Contest the 2026 Local Government Elections, the Electoral Commission Confirmed

This marks a significant increase from the 325 parties that contested the 2021 polls. The IEC also revealed that 49 of the 61 parties registered at the municipal level will participate in the local elections. At the district level, 237 of 290 registered parties will contest the polls.

IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya provided a breakdown of the figures: 345 political parties are registered at the national level, with 227 of those having nominated candidates, representing 66% of registered parties. At the provincial level, 36 parties are registered, with 33 contesting, representing 92%. The commission reported 142,072 candidates vying for 10,526 council seats in the elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. The nomination process now moves to its next stage, with the final list of candidates set to be. Natasha Phiri reported from the briefing.