KwaZulu-Natal Voter Turnout Surpasses National Average in 2026 Elections

The Electoral Commission of South Africa began processing preliminary results for the 2026 Local Government Elections on Thursday at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand. The election involved approximately 29.2 million registered voters across 23,696 voting stations to determine municipal control across the country.

In KwaZulu-Natal, Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga reported a preliminary voter turnout of 48.7%, which surpassed the national average of 45.8%. Masinga noted that while the commission is pleased with the provincial turnout, it had hoped to exceed the 50% mark.

As of Thursday, 18% of results from the 5,028 voting stations in KwaZulu-Natal have been captured, with 12% audited by an independent firm for accuracy. Political parties and independent candidates have until 5 p.m. on Friday to lodge Section 65 objections regarding the integrity of results at specific stations. A panel of lawyers is assisting the commission with these investigations.

The commission plans to announce the final results on Sunday after resolving all outstanding objections.