No Party Has Majority Support as South Africa Moves Deeper into Coalition Politics, Survey Finds

Published 2026-10-31

A new survey by the research company Ipsos shows that no political party in South Africa has majority support. The findings suggest that the country is moving further into an era of coalition politics, where two or more parties must work together to form a government.

Coalition governments are becoming more common in South Africa. In past elections, the African National Congress (ANC) was able to win enough votes to govern on its own. However, the results of recent surveys indicate that this may no longer be the case. Many voters are choosing a range of smaller parties, which makes it harder for any single party to gain more than half of the public's support.

For ordinary South Africans, this change could have important effects. When parties must cooperate, they often need to compromise on policies and political priorities. Some analysts believe that coalitions can make government more representative of different groups in society. Others worry that frequent negotiations between parties may slow down decision-making on issues such as jobs, housing and public services.

The Ipsos survey suggests that South Africa is entering a new period in its political history. As coalition politics becomes more normal, voters and political leaders will need to adapt to a system in which agreement between parties is essential for governing the country.

Sources: IOL

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