SAfm1:2452m ago
Local government elections · 04 Nov 2026
What South African radio is saying about the municipal elections.
Every party, candidate and coalition argument as it airs across the stations we monitor — with the audio behind each one. This page counts coverage: how often something is said on air. It is not a poll, a forecast, or a measure of support.
Counting under wayNext: Results declared, 11 Nov (date per the IEC's published summary)
Results are provisional until the IEC declares them, by 11 Nov. Early tallies and projections in these clips are partial counts and can change. The calls below are graded only against the declared result. Follow the count on the IEC's results site.
- 07 AugElection proclaimed
- 11 AugNominations open
- 26 AugVoters' roll certified
- 28 AugNominations close
- 16 SeptFinal candidate list
- 25 SeptCertificates issued
- 04 NovElection day
- 11 NovResults declared
- 25 NovCouncils sit
Moments as they air
The vote and the count, in the words that were said.
Press play — no account, no paywall. Every clip is the broadcast itself, cut to the moment.
Cape Talk1:1954m ago
ActionSA credits its Gauteng gains, not ground campaigning
Kaya 9590:522h ago
Government urges parties to verify election figures before sharing
Cape Talk0:471h ago
Observers say polls were peaceful but turnout is a concern
Power FM1:192h ago
Africa Maiboya says it campaigned on zero budget in first local polls
7021:032h ago
ANC support slumps in Mpumalanga's traditional strongholds
Power FM1:084h ago
ActionSA looks ahead to 2029 after local council gains
Power FM1:192h ago
EFF accuses IEC of counting irregularities and plans a criminal case
The metro races
The four metros our stations actually cover. Candidates are listed alphabetically, never by how much airtime they get — a mention count measures coverage, not standing. eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Mangaung reach us only through national bulletins.
- Bongani BaloyiMK Party24 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Dada MoreroANC · sitting mayor225 mentionslast 06 Nov
- Helen ZilleDA441 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Herman MashabaActionSA(ActionSA leader)234 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Kenny KunenePatriotic Alliance(PA deputy president)22 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Lukhona MnguniRise Mzansi1 mentionlast 29 Oct
- Mlungisi MabasoIFPnone detected
- Nobuntu Hlazo-WebsterBOSAnone detected
- Tlaleng MofokengEFFnone detected
- Vuyo ZungulaATM(ATM parliamentary leader)8 mentionslast 06 Nov
Also standing, but not yet detected on the stations we monitor: Shireen Ebrahim (Al Jama-ah).
- Cilliers BrinkDA22 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Mncedi NdzwananaATM(council speaker)none detected
- Nasiphi MoyaActionSA · sitting mayor214 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Nkele MatimeMK Partynone detected
- Omphile MaotweEFFnone detected
Also standing, but not yet detected on the stations we monitor: Douglas Zwane (IFP), Martha Moshiga (BOSA), Willie Spies (FF+).
- Khathutshelo RasilingwaneDA27 mentionslast 01 Nov
- Nkosindiphile XhakazaANC · sitting mayornone detected
- Thulani ShongweMK Partynone detected
- Xolani KhumaloActionSA3 mentionslast 05 Nov
Also standing, but not yet detected on the stations we monitor: Desmond Mchunu (IFP), Nthabiseng Tshivhenga (EFF), Velaphi Ndaba (ATM).
- Brett HerronGOOD(joint GOOD and Rise Mzansi candidate)19 mentionslast 06 Nov
- Cheslyn DanielsPatriotic Alliance8 mentionslast 06 Nov
- Dereleen JamesActionSA16 mentionslast 06 Nov
- Geordin Hill-LewisDA · sitting mayor(DA federal leader)443 mentionslast 07 Nov
- Nontando NolutshunguEFF(EFF national chairperson)none detected
- Roger SolomonsBOSA14 mentionslast 05 Nov
Who is getting the airtime
Mentions of each party across the 14 days of broadcast we monitor. This is airtime, not support — how often a party is talked about, not how anyone intends to vote. Tone is an AI reading of the coverage, not of the party.
- ANC6 stations5 95829% negative
- DA6 stations3 9646% negative
- EFF6 stations1 64016% negative
- MK Party6 stations1 32813% negative
- ActionSA6 stations1 2702% negative
- IFP6 stations4797% negative
- FF+6 stations3574% negative
- Patriotic Alliance6 stations3531% negative
- SACP6 stations3153% negative
- UDM6 stations1420% negative
- Rise Mzansi6 stations1214% negative
- ACDP6 stations920% negative
- PAC4 stations625% negative
- BOSA5 stations524% negative
- ATM4 stations510% negative
- Al Jama-ah5 stations310% negative
- GOOD4 stations277% negative
- COPE2 stations110% negative
Last heard: ANC 07 Nov · DA 07 Nov · EFF 07 Nov
Calls on the record
Every call the desk tracksPredictions made on air, with the receipt.
Falsifiable calls about this election, captured as they were said. Calls about the result are graded once the IEC has declared — never against a partial count.
[Politics]By 04 Nov
The MK Party will receive the largest share of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal province in the 4 November 2026 South African local government elections.
“victory is certain in Kwazulunatal for the Jacob Zuma-led party”
Dlamini-Zuma · Power FM · 04 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
No party will win an outright majority of seats in all eight of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities in the 4 November 2026 local government elections, so each metro will be governed by a coalition.
“I think in an unprecedented number of municipalities and certainly in all of our metros, we will be governed by coalitions.”
John · 702 · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
The African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance will be the two largest parties by national vote share in the 4 November 2026 South African local government elections.
“we're talking primarily about the ANC and the DA because they are almost certainly going to be the two biggest parties, how close they'll be to each other.”
Hadria · Cape Talk · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
No political party will win an outright majority of the national vote in the 4 November 2026 South African local government elections.
“we are not going to get the outright majority in this coming elections, which is something that I also foresaw”
Owen · Power FM · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
The Democratic Alliance will be the largest party on the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality council after the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
“I think, based on what the bills are telling us, the Democratic Alliance is going to come out on top.”
Nikolaus Bauer · SAfm · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
The MK Party will receive the largest share of the vote in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
“I do think they'll be the party with the biggest portion of votes.”
Hajra Omarjee · Power FM · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
All voting stations in South Africa will open by 7 a.m. on 4 November 2026, election day for the 2026 local government elections.
“Ready to open all voting stations by 7 o'clock tomorrow morning.”
Masa Shiburi · SAfm · 03 Nov
[Politics]By 04 Nov
At least one voting station in South Africa will fail to open on time on Wednesday 4 November 2026, the day of the local government elections.
“and Wednesday there will be voting stations that don't open on time. I'm sure of that.”
On air · Cape Talk · 02 Nov
Already settled · calls about the run-up
- correctThe African National Congress will win its Constitutional Court appeal against the Electoral Court ruling that excluded its candidate lists from six municipalities for the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
- incorrectCOSATU's 15th National Congress will make a decision on COSATU's voting posture for the 2026 local government elections by 17 September 2026.
- correctThe IEC's final published candidate list for the November 2026 local government elections will contain more than 100,000 candidates.
- incorrectThe IEC will formally confirm that 55 political parties are contesting the 2026 local government elections in the Western Cape on 16 September 2026.
- incorrectThe African National Congress will conclude its selection of mayoral nominees for the 2026 local government elections by 6 September 2026.
No odds, nothing to wager on.
Who is running party messages on air
Party and IEC messages our ad classifier heard over the last 28 days. These are airings, not spend. ICASA-allocated free party election broadcasts and paid advertising sound the same on air, so this cannot separate them — and a party absent here may simply be advertising somewhere we do not listen.
- DA6 stations · 10 Oct–01 Nov380airings
- IEC6 stations · 20 Oct–04 Nov133airings
- ActionSA3 stations · 26 Oct–30 Oct31airings
- ANC4 stations · 27 Oct–01 Nov17airings
- BOSA1 station · 13 Oct–31 Oct13airings
- IFP2 stations · 19 Oct–01 Nov12airings
- MK Party2 stations · 10 Oct–29 Oct10airings
- EFF1 station · 17 Oct–31 Oct5airings
- FF+1 station · 14 Oct–25 Oct4airings
- PAC1 station · 20 Oct–30 Oct3airings
- Rise Mzansi1 station · 29 Oct–30 Oct2airings
- UDM1 station · 23 Oct–23 Oct1airing
611 party airings in total. Every advertiser on air — including who runs beside election coverage.
Running right now
Election stories moving across more than one station in the last three days.
- ANC suffers historic local election losses6
- IEC faces objections over election irregularities6
- DA consolidates Western Cape election dominance6
- MK Party challenges eThekwini election results6
- Low turnout exposes voter disillusionment6
- Coalition talks reshape South Africa’s municipalities6
- DA expands lead while facing coalition reality6
- Helen Zille shapes Johannesburg coalition debate6
Watch it yourself
Standing alerts that email you when something matching airs. Each link opens the alert form already filled in — edit anything before you save it.
- Coalition talk in the metrosWho is talking to whom about governing a metro after 4 November.
- My party on airSwap the party names for your own — the form opens pre-filled.
- IEC, the count and objectionsThe count, the results and any objections, as the IEC and the parties report them.
- Political violence and intimidationThe story that decides whether an election is free and fair.
- Service delivery in my wardWhat residents are actually phoning in about.
How this page works
Airtime is not support. Every count here measures how often something was said on the English-language stations we monitor over the last 14 days. It is not a poll, a projection, or a measure of how anyone intends to vote, and nothing on this page should be read as a forecast of the result.
We monitor six stations. 702, Power FM, Kaya 959 and 947 (Gauteng), Cape Talk (Western Cape) and SAfm (national). Coverage of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Cape Town is therefore much denser than of the other four metros, and a party or candidate absent from this page may simply not have been discussed on these stations.
Names come from speech recognition. Transcripts are machine-generated, and South African names are where they fail most. We correct the spellings we know about at ingest, but a candidate whose name is consistently mis-heard will be under-counted until we catch it. Everything is quoted “as heard on air”.
Tone is a machine reading of the coverage, not a verdict on a party, and allegations reported on air are attributed to whoever made them — never asserted here as fact.
Something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it. Updated 07 Nov, 12:43 SAST.