Political parties surge 43 percent as 142,072 candidates vie for council seats

A field of 142,072 candidates will compete for 10,526 council seats in November’s local government elections, the Electoral Commission confirmed, with 546 of the country’s 732 registered political parties cleared to participate.

The nomination figure represents a sharp 43 percent increase on the 99,000 candidates who entered the 2021 local government elections. That surge signals intensifying competition for municipal power across South Africa, with the largest metros drawing the heaviest concentration of party interest.

Johannesburg leads the field, attracting 80 parties. Tshwane follows at 72, eThekwini at 70, and Ekurhuleni at 69. The City of Cape Town drew 55 parties. Among secondary municipalities, Emfuleni attracted 43 parties, Polokwane 40, and Rustenburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Capricorn District each fielded 38.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya broke down how the 142,072 nominations are distributed across the two electoral mechanisms. Political parties nominated 40,241 candidates for proportional representation seats, while 100,856 were put forward for ward positions. The split reflects South Africa’s dual municipal election structure, in which voters choose both a ward representative and a party list for proportional seats.

The demographic profile of nominees skews toward middle age. Candidates between 36 and 55 account for 58 percent of all nominations. The 41-45 bracket is the single largest cohort, representing 16 percent of the total pool.

Gender representation is less balanced. Men account for nearly two-thirds of all nominations; women comprise approximately 38 percent. The gap widens across the two electoral pathways. On proportional representation lists, men hold 56 percent of positions against 44 percent for women. Ward elections show a sharper disparity, with men at 65 percent and women at 35 percent.

By contrast, the administrative calendar ahead of November is tightly sequenced. On 9 September, the IEC will notify any parties, candidates, or nominators who appear simultaneously as independents or on multiple party lists, a step designed to enforce compliance with eligibility and affiliation rules. The final verified candidate register will be published on 16 September, giving parties and voters the definitive roster before campaigning enters its final stretch.

Whether the 43 percent jump in nominations translates into meaningfully broader voter choice, or simply reflects fragmentation among smaller parties unlikely to win seats, will become clearer once the 16 September lists are published.