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

Political momentum is building across South Africa as parties formalize their mayoral candidates and refine campaign strategies ahead of the upcoming local government elections scheduled for November 4, 2026.

In Cape Town, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has officially announced that incumbent Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis will run for a second term. Hill-Lewis, who was also recently elected as the leader of the DA, has centered his campaign on a five-pledge plan aimed at making the city “safer, cleaner, and more affordable.” Meanwhile, the Patriotic Alliance has confirmed Cheslyn Steenberg as its mayoral candidate for the city, positioning the established councillor as a key challenger.

In Johannesburg, the African National Congress (ANC) is in the final stages of its selection process. Reports indicate that Reverend Frank Chikane has emerged as a frontrunner for the ANC’s mayoral candidacy, as the party seeks to unify its ranks ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive race in the metro.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have also ramped up their campaign efforts, with leader Julius Malema recently announcing the party’s full slate of mayoral candidates for the various metros. Malema has insisted that the EFF has fielded the “best mayoral candidates” to address the needs of the electorate in the upcoming municipal polls.

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, smaller parties are also positioning themselves to influence the outcome in key metros, while major parties continue to finalize their lists and launch their manifestos to voters across the country.