Summary
The ANC has lost its thirty-year majority in South Africa's 2024 national election.
The African National Congress party of South Africa has lost its 30-year majority in this year’s national election. A first for the party.
The party led by Cyril Ramaphosa has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994 and now has a 40 per cent majority. After the last national election, the ANC held a 58 per cent majority.
The ANC has lost support over the years over daily power outages, unemployment, crime, corruption and inequality.
President Ramaphosa and other leaders within the ANC plan to discuss a coalition with either the Democratic Alliance Party, or uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The latter currently being led by former ANC president, Jacob Zuma. The ANC has stated that they intend to keep Ramaphosa in their party. Even at the expense of a coalition.
After Parliament decides on this coalition, they will choose the new president. The ANC now holds 159 out of the 400 seats in the National Assembly; one of the two houses in Parliament. But held 230 after the last election. A party, or coalition, requires 201 seats in Parliament to hold a majority.
The results are as follows:
African National Congress 40.18 per cent
Democratic Alliance 21.81 per cent
MKP 14.58 per cent
EFF 9.52 per cent
This election also sets another record with the lowest post-apartheid voter turnout. This year, over 27.7 million people were registered to vote; but only 16.2 million voted. Which resulted in a 58 per cent voter turnout.
Analysts say that coalition talks will prove difficult and must be done “behind closed doors.”
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Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
