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Support for the African National Congress (ANC) is now barely above 30%, ahead of next month’s local government elections (LGE).

This is according to the latest polling conducted by the Social Research Foundation, conducted in conjunction with The Common Sense.

According to the latest polling, which was conducted in September and October, the ANC had the support of 32% of voters. This is the joint record-lowest level that the party has ever polled at. The last time it polled this low in SRF polling was in the first quarter of last year, at the height of the VAT debacle.

The Democratic Alliance had the support of 26% of those polled, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party 12%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters 8%.

The chart below shows the national results from the last LGE, along with the last three sets of polling from the SRF and The Common Sense, and the average across those three polls.

Methodology

The figures come from a Social Research Foundation market survey conducted in conjunction with The Common Sense and carried out by Victory Research using telephonic CATI interviews. A single-frame random digit dialling design was used, with respondents screened for voter registration and then interviewed, and the sample was further quota-controlled for key demographic characteristics of South Africa’s registered voter population. National SIM card penetration exceeds 250.0%, making telephonic interviewing a reliable method of reaching a representative sample of registered voters. The sample was fully weighted according to the demographic parameters of the registered voter population.

The survey was conducted from 18 September to 12 October 2026 among 3 100 respondents.

It must be stressed that the election polling numbers are not forecasts or predictions. They are snapshots in time and South African politics is particularly fluid at the moment.