Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB29°80%CTCT19°100%PretoriaPTA31°100%DurbanDBN26°90%

Survey finds 90% of voters saw local elections as free

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found that 91% of voters thought the 2026 local government elections were fair, and 95% were satisfied with Electoral Commission (IEC) officials. Trust in the IEC fell to 81%.

The HSRC interviewed 13,198 voters at 300 voting stations on election day, across all nine provinces. Research director Benjamin Roberts presented the findings at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Friday. The commission commissioned the survey.

Most voters queued briefly. Roberts said 91% waited no longer than 30 minutes, and 4% queued for more than an hour. One source put the share at nine in ten. He said queuing times improved markedly on 2024 and returned to 2021 levels.

Trust in the IEC was 81%, down from 85% in 2024, 89% in 2021 and 91% in 2016. Trust was highest in the Eastern Cape at 87% and lowest in KwaZulu-Natal at 72%. Roberts said allegations of corruption, bribery and fraud were prominent reasons for distrust.

The HSRC said intimidation, impartiality, inclusive voting and information gaps need attention. Of voters, 65% said IEC officials were impartial to a great extent. The survey also flagged a need for better facilities for visually impaired voters, pregnant women and voters with babies.

Key facts

Who
Human Sciences Research Council (conducted the survey); Electoral Commission of South Africa (electoral body whose trust levels were surveyed); Benjamin Roberts (research director in the HSRC's developmental, capable and ethical state…); Electoral Commission of SA (commissioned the survey; manages elections)
What
A Human Sciences Research Council survey reported that most voters think the 2026 local government elections were free and fair and that trust in the IEC remains high, though trust has declined since 2016 and some voters cite corruption, bribery, fraud and political bias concerns.
When
6 November 2026
Where
South Africa, Midrand
Status
Reported

Related stories

Elections Hot

What you need to know

With about 74% of the national vote counted, the IFP stands at about 4.6%, below the 5.64% it won in 2021, though it says it made gains. Earlier partial results had the ANC leading nationally with 31%, the DA on 25% and the MK Party third, with the EFF fourth.

The DA leads in 19 of 25 Western Cape municipalities but has passed 51% in only seven, while the ANC has won none of the 21 councils reported there. The ANC, DA, EFF and ActionSA say they are open to coalition talks as results point to hung councils.

The MK Party won outright majorities in Richmond and Impendle in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Electoral Commission will declare final results on Sunday.

  1. IEC captures 88% of KwaZulu-Natal results slips
  2. ActionSA says it won 53 wards from the ANC
  3. Survey finds 90% of voters saw local elections as free

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Earlier, reports based on unnamed sources said OpenAI had lowered the target for its latest funding round, and OpenAI has not been quoted on that claim.

Anthropic published its S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing under the symbol ANT, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026. Anthropic also said it is committing close to $900bn to AI infrastructure, with spending on computing power rising faster than revenues.

Elsewhere, an AI chip investment scheme that recruited South Africans on social media went offline on 30 October, leaving members unable to withdraw money.

  1. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan
  2. OpenAI could be ready for a share listing in 2027
  3. Only 4 people booked Uber rides through an AI agent

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections on 3 November, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained. Exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and the result was a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Trump said the Iran war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon, but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted, with the JSE All Share Index rising almost 5% on 5 November and Brent crude falling below $100 a barrel as investors hoped for an end to the war.

Earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the result would introduce a new era in world relations, while some leaders warned of political gridlock in Washington.

  1. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch
  2. Asian stocks plunge as US election results shake AI trade
  3. Trump blames Democrats' election win for US stock market fall

See every update