South Africa prepares for local elections amid funding concerns

South Africa is preparing for the 2026 Local Government Elections scheduled for 4 November. Approximately 142,072 candidates are competing for 10,526 council seats. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is deploying 68,000 Voter Management Devices and printing 78 million ballot papers. While most election materials are ready, several court cases involving the IEC remain unresolved in the Electoral, Constitutional, and Gauteng High Courts, which may impact finalising ballots in certain areas.

Simultaneously, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has requested R120 million from the National Treasury to fund its election coverage. As of early October, the funding had not been approved, raising concerns regarding the broadcaster's ability to provide equitable and deep coverage of candidates and political parties. The SABC stated that while it intends to cover the elections regardless of the outcome, the lack of funds will affect its technical capability, personnel deployment, and results data publishing.