Turnout was higher than in 2021 in all eight metros, and lower than in 2016
In all eight metros, turnout in the 2026 local elections was 7,0 to 10,4 percentage points higher than in 2021 and below the metro's 2016 level, according to the voter turnout reports of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). It ranged from 51,0% in eThekwini to 55,6% in Buffalo City, against 41,9% to 47,2% in 2021.
Turnout is the IEC's measure. It takes the larger of the ward and proportional representation (PR) totals of votes cast, spoilt ballots included, and divides it by registered voters plus MEC7 votes, cast by voters registered in that voting district but not on the printed roll there. It is a share of registered voters, not of everyone old enough to vote.
The 2021 election, held on 1 November 2021 under Covid-19 rules, had lower turnout than 2016 in all eight metros, so the chart also shows 2016, the local election before it. The reports don't show how far those rules affected 2021.
Buffalo City had the largest rise and came closest to its 2016 turnout
In the chart, each arrow runs from a metro's 2021 turnout to its 2026 turnout, and the open circle marks 2016. Every arrow ends to the left of its circle, in Buffalo City by only 0,3 points.
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), Voter Turnout reports for each metro for the 2016 and 2021 local elections and for 2026 (released 7 and 8 November 2026).
The figures behind the chart:
| Metro | 2016 | 2021 | 2026 | Change from 2021, percentage points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo City | 55,9% | 45,2% | 55,6% | 10,4 |
| Cape Town | 64,2% | 47,2% | 54,8% | 7,6 |
| Tshwane | 59,2% | 45,0% | 54,4% | 9,4 |
| Ekurhuleni | 58,0% | 43,5% | 53,4% | 9,9 |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | 63,9% | 45,9% | 52,9% | 7,0 |
| Johannesburg | 57,1% | 42,6% | 52,8% | 10,2 |
| Mangaung | 57,7% | 43,5% | 51,6% | 8,1 |
| eThekwini | 59,7% | 41,9% | 51,0% | 9,1 |
Buffalo City had the largest rise, 10,4 percentage points, and ended 0,3 points below its 2016 turnout, the closest of the eight. Nelson Mandela Bay had the smallest rise, 7,0 points, and was the furthest below 2016, by 11,0 points. Changes and gaps are worked out from the unrounded figures, so a gap can differ slightly from one worked out from the rounded table.
Each figure comes from the latest IEC report for that metro. eThekwini's 2026 report was printed twice on 8 November with slightly different counts, and this post uses the later one. Tshwane's 2026 report is the one issued after its re-declaration, and Cape Town's 2021 report is a reissue from May 2022.
The voters' roll was also larger than in 2021 in each of the eight, and with both the roll and the share higher, more votes were counted. In Tshwane the IEC counted 916 840 votes for turnout, against 688 237 in 2021, on a roll of 1 684 463 against 1 526 585. A share of registered voters also moves with who registers and how the roll is kept, and the reports don't show why the share rose.
The two metros with the lowest turnout in 2021 rose by 9,1 and 10,2 points
In 2021, turnout was lowest in eThekwini, at 41,9%, and Johannesburg, at 42,6%. eThekwini's turnout rose by 9,1 points to 51,0%, the lowest of the eight in both years, and was 8,7 points below its 2016 turnout. Johannesburg's rose by 10,2 points to 52,8%, the second-largest rise after Buffalo City's, and was 4,2 points below its 2016 turnout.