The Democratic Alliance (DA) has recorded a substantial increase in support in uMngeni in KwaZulu-Natal, with its number of votes nearly doubling between the 2021 and 2026 local government elections.

In 2021, uMngeni became the first municipality in KwaZulu-Natal that the DA had won in its history.

On the proportional representation (PR) ballot, the DA increased its vote from 14 310 in 2021 to 24 782 in 2026. Its share of the vote rose from 48.4% to 62.6%, an increase of 14.2 percentage points.

The party also increased its support on the ward ballot, winning 23 622 votes compared with 14 035 in 2021. Its ward vote share rose from 46.5% to 59.7%.

Across both ballots, the DA received 48 404 votes, compared with 28 345 in 2021. Its combined vote share increased from 47.4% to 61.1%.

The DA also increased its representation on the 25-seat municipal council from 13 to 15 seats, winning ten of the municipality’s 13 wards, compared with five in 2021.

The African National Congress (ANC), meanwhile, saw its combined vote share fall from 39.2% to 15.8%, with its council representation declining from ten seats to four.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which did not contest the 2021 election, secured 18.6% of the combined vote and five council seats.

The chart below shows the political party standings in uMngeni over the past two local government elections.