2026 Local Government Elections: Who is running for mayor in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other metros?

As South Africa gears up for the 2026 local government elections scheduled for 4 November, political parties are intensifying their campaigns and unveiling their mayoral candidates for the country’s major metropolitan municipalities.

The race for leadership in key cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and eThekwini (Durban) is heating up, with parties employing different strategies to secure voter support. The African National Congress (ANC) has initiated a centralized selection process, inviting public nominations to identify candidates for strategic municipalities, while other parties have already begun announcing their frontrunners.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has recently unveiled six mayoral candidates for major metros, including Bongani Baloyi for Johannesburg, Thulani Shongwe for Ekurhuleni, Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi for eThekwini, Mapaseka Mothibi for Mangaung, Mzwandile Vaaiboom for Buffalo City, and Mvuleni Map for Nelson Mandela Bay.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have named senior national leaders as their mayoral candidates for key cities, aiming to address service delivery challenges through increased municipal funding. In Cape Town, the race features candidates such as the Democratic Alliance’s Geordin Hill-Lewis, alongside contenders from the Patriotic Alliance, the Good Party, and others.

The ANC will finalise its list of mayoral candidates this week as the party races to settle a selection process ahead of local government elections on November 4.

As the election date approaches, the focus remains on how these candidates will address critical issues such as housing, infrastructure, and economic inequality in South Africa’s urban centers.