JOHANNESBURG - The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is hoping to announce the final results of the 2026 local government elections by the weekend.
Around 14.5 million voters had cast their ballots by the time voting stations closed at 9pm on Wednesday.
READ: From ballot boxes to council seats: What happens before IEC declares election results
This includes approximately 13 million people who voted on election day and 1.5 million special votes.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says declaring the results by the weekend will provide certainty and allow municipalities to begin arranging their first council meetings.
He says this will also give political parties time to negotiate where coalition discussions are necessary.