South Africa Elections 2024: All you need to know — polls, voting, African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, Nelson Mandela

South Africa’s national and provincial elections on 29 May 2024 marked a turning point in the country’s democracy. For the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC)—the party once led by Nelson Mandela—has lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly.

South African voters went to the polls to elect a 400-member National Assembly, as they have done every five years. Each political party is allocated a number of seats in the National Assembly proportional to the number of votes it gets. The lawmakers then elect the country’s next president.

The ANC party that freed South Africa from apartheid loses its 30-year majority in landmark election

Early results and projections indicated the ANC would gain roughly 40 to 42 percent of the national vote, a significant drop from the 57.5 percent it secured in 2019. The Democratic Alliance (DA) maintained its position as the primary opposition with approximately 25 percent of the vote, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also remained a key player.

The election saw the dramatic rise of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma. Despite being a member of the ANC, Zuma announced in December 2023 that he could not support the party under President Cyril Ramaphosa. The MK Party’s performance has positioned it as a potential kingmaker in the ensuing coalition talks.

South Africa’s top court rules former President Zuma cannot stand in election over criminal record

The Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma was ineligible to stand as a candidate for the National Assembly due to his 2021 conviction for contempt of court. However, his name remained on the ballot as the face of the MK Party, which saw strong support in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Other new parties, such as Build One South Africa (BOSA), also secured representation in the National Assembly.

With the ANC falling below the 50 percent threshold, South Africa is set to enter its first national coalition government. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has seven days by law to announce the full results, after which the National Assembly must meet within 14 days to elect the president.