Published Thursday, October 22, 11:57 a.m. ET (5:57 p.m. Johannesburg) · Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa, SAnews, EWN, SABC, Business Day
South Africa’s Electoral Commission (IEC) must print about 6.6 million extra ballot papers after the Constitutional Court ordered 181 candidates of the African National Congress (ANC) back onto the lists, as our South Africa local elections updates page tracks. Voting in the local government elections is still set for Wednesday, November 4, with special voting on Monday and Tuesday, November 2–3.
The IEC says it does not expect the dispute to move the date, but its chair, Mosotho Moepya, has said preparations were disrupted. The commission is applying the court’s reasoning to 32 other parties in the same position, which it says affects 107 municipalities.
Key Facts
- Ruling: The Constitutional Court ordered 181 ANC candidates added to final lists.
- Extra ballots: About 6.6 million more papers must be printed; 32 other parties get the same treatment.
- Vote: Wednesday, November 4; special voting Monday and Tuesday, November 2–3.
- Printing: More than 66% of 79 million ballots were printed by October 14.
- Special votes: A record 2,655,067 applications were approved, up 131% from 2021.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket gives Helen Zille 51.5% to be Johannesburg’s next mayor (Oct 22, 11:55 a.m. ET).
In plain English
Local elections choose the councils that run cities, water, electricity and roads. The Constitutional Court, South Africa’s highest court on constitutional questions, put candidates back on the ballot, so more papers must be printed.
What the Court Ordered
The Constitutional Court ordered the IEC to include 181 ANC candidates who had been left off final lists, 51 for wards and 130 on proportional-representation lists. They stand in six municipalities across Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, including Mangaung, the metropolitan area around Bloemfontein.
On October 19 the ANC, the party of President Cyril Ramaphosa, said the IEC had confirmed its candidates would appear on the ballots. The IEC then extended the ruling’s logic to 32 other parties, which it says affects 107 municipalities, while other reports cite 121.
The Printing Squeeze
On October 14 the IEC said more than 66% of 79 million ballot papers were printed and expected to finish by Sunday, October 18. The court orders then added about 6.6 million extra papers, according to EWN on October 17.
Special voting is for people who cannot vote on election day, and applications closed on Monday, October 12. The IEC approved a record 2,655,067 applications, up 131% from 1,147,759 in 2021.
Cities to Watch
A MarkData poll for eNCA, reported by Business Day on October 18, put the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 35% in Johannesburg, ahead of the ANC at 22%. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were each near 12%, and ActionSA near 10%.
In eThekwini, the Durban metro, EWN’s October 22 analysis put MK near 44%. In Nelson Mandela Bay the DA and ANC were level at about 37% each.
Louw Nel of Oxford Economics Africa said at least six of the eight big metropolitan councils could need coalition deals. Ipsos disagrees with other polls on whether the DA holds more than 50% in Cape Town.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, Helen Zille is priced at 51.5% to become Johannesburg’s next mayor, with US$132,883 traded. In Tshwane (Pretoria), Cilliers Brink is priced at 49.0%, with US$26,471 traded. Prices as of October 22, 11:55 a.m. ET; they are bets, not polls.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
City councils control water, power and permits in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, so coalition results shape services and the business climate there. A smooth count would add to confidence in South African institutions, while new ballot disputes would be a risk to watch.
Johannesburg is six hours ahead of New York until US clocks go back on November 1, and seven hours ahead after that. Official results come from the IEC, and we will not call a winner before it does.
What Is Not Known
It is not established whether the extra ballots will be printed and delivered on schedule. It is also unclear whether any party will go back to court over the extension to 32 parties.
The number of municipalities affected is reported as 107 by the IEC chair and 121 by other outlets, and the gap is not explained. The polls cited here are snapshots, not forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is South Africa’s local election?
Voting is on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, for councils across the country. Special voting for people who cannot vote on the day takes place on Monday and Tuesday, November 2–3.
What did the Constitutional Court order?
It ordered the Electoral Commission to include 181 ANC candidates left off final lists: 51 for wards and 130 on proportional-representation lists. They stand in six municipalities in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
Will the ballot reprint delay the vote?
The IEC has said it does not currently expect the court cases and reprinting to change the November 4 date. Its chair, Mosotho Moepya, has acknowledged that preparations were disrupted.
Which cities may need coalitions?
Analyst Louw Nel of Oxford Economics Africa said at least six of the eight metropolitan councils could need coalition agreements. Polls show Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay as especially fragmented.
Sources: SAnews · Electoral Commission update (gov.za) · EWN · SABC News · Business Day · EWN, October 22 · Polymarket
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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