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Fewer than one in five voters in Johannesburg say they would vote for the African National Congress (ANC).

This is according to polling conducted by The Common Sense, in conjunction with the Social Research Foundation* (SRF).

The polling was conducted between 8 and 31 July and polled just more than 500 people in Johannesburg. It had a margin of error of 4.4% and used a turnout model of 53%.

Respondents were asked who they would vote for if a local government election was held that day.

According to the poll, only 18% of likely voters said they would vote for the ANC. The Democratic Alliance (DA) had a big lead in the city, with the support of 42% of likely voters.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) had the support of 13% of likely voters in the city, with 10% saying they would vote for ActionSA. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had the support of 8% of likely voters.

Support for the ANC has declined significantly since March 2026, when the SRF and The Common Sense last conducted a poll in Johannesburg.

That poll found that the ANC had the support of 30% of likely voters, while the DA had the support of 39%. The MKP had the support of 8%, ActionSA the support of 10%, and the EFF the support of 4%.

The chart below shows support for political parties in Johannesburg in the 2021 local government elections and in the SRF and The Common Sense’s previous two rounds of polling.

The Common Sense deputy editor Marius Roodt said, “It’s important to stress that these numbers are not a forecast of the result, but rather a measure of the data at this point in time. However, whether Johannesburg faces a hung council after the November election results… At this stage if the numbers hold as they are, the city faces a series of conflicting coalition possibilities. The ANC, EFF, and MKP could form a government, so could the DA and the ANC, and so too the DA and ActionSA.”

* The Social Research Foundation’s Q2 2026 Market Survey was conducted in conjunction with The Common Sense and carried out by Victory Research among 2 214 registered voters between 8 and 31 July 2026 using telephonic CATI interviews. National results are based on the full sample of 2 214 respondents. Metro results are based on samples of 504 respondents in Johannesburg, 508 in Tshwane, and 500 in eThekwini. A single frame random digit dialling design was used, drawing from all possible South African mobile numbers to ensure that every number had an equal probability of selection. National SIM card penetration exceeds 250.0%, more than 90.0% of adults own a phone, and mobile networks cover 99.8% of the population, providing universal practical coverage. The samples were fully weighted to match the relevant registered voter populations across all key demographics, including language, age, race, gender, education, income, and urban or rural location. Turnout modelling assigned each respondent a probability of voting based on questions measuring their likelihood of participation, with the primary turnout model set at 56.0%. The national results carry a margin of error of 2.1% at a 95.0% confidence level, while the Johannesburg, Tshwane, and eThekwini results each carry a margin of error of 4.4%. The survey has a design effect of 3.7938.