South Africa's governing African National Congress is heading for its worst local election result on record, according to partial results published on Friday, as voters punished the party over failing water and power supplies, potholed roads and high unemployment.

With most ballots counted, the ANC stood on about 32 per cent of the national vote, electoral commission figures showed, down from 46 per cent at the last municipal elections in 2021. Its nearest rival, the pro-business Democratic Alliance, was on about 24 to 25 per cent, up from 21.7 per cent in 2021.

Coalition battles loom in big cities

The result sets up difficult coalition negotiations in several major cities, including Johannesburg, where no single party looked set to win outright control. The Democratic Alliance was on course for an outright majority in Cape Town, while smaller parties, including ActionSA, could hold the balance of power elsewhere.

In KwaZulu-Natal, former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party took four municipalities from the ANC, underlining how far the governing party's support has fallen in its former strongholds.

A verdict on services

The ANC has led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, but its support has fallen steadily over the past decade amid corruption scandals and anger over basic services. President Cyril Ramaphosa now governs nationally in a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and eight smaller parties.

The Electoral Commission was expected to release the final outcome and the allocation of seats on the country's 257 municipal councils over the weekend. Until then, the figures remain provisional, and the final shares could still move as the remaining ballots are counted.

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