The Democratic Alliance (DA) declared more than R32 million in donations for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, far outpacing other political parties and helping push total declared funding above R40 million, according to the latest report from the Electoral Commission (IEC). The report covers the period April to June 2025, and marks a sharp rise from the R18.4 million recorded in the previous quarter, as South Africa’s main parties gear up for municipal elections next year.

Of the three parties to declare donations, DA, ANC, and ActionSA, the DA accounted for the lion’s share. Its largest gifts came from companies linked to Capitec founder Michiel le Roux, with Fynbos Kapitaal and Fynbos Ekwiteit providing R15 million and R10 million respectively. Other significant DA donors included Jufrapi Investment (R2 million) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which supplied just over R1 million worth of training and support. The ANC disclosed R7.8 million, all from its investment arm Chancellor House, while ActionSA declared R520 000 from its leader, Herman Mashaba.

The new disclosure regime, in effect from August 2025, requires parties to report any donation above R200 000 and raises the annual donor cap to R30 million. With local elections looming, the IEC expects both donations and scrutiny to increase in the months ahead.