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How South African municipal elections work

Wards, PR lists, metros vs local municipalities — a neutral explainer.

15 May 2026 · 7 min

Two ballots (typical metro / local)

  1. **Ward ballot** — you choose a ward candidate (party or independent).
  2. **PR (proportional representation) ballot** — you choose a party list to balance overall council seats.

Why local matters

Councils set rates, manage water/refuse/roads partnerships, and decide many daily-life services.

Coalitions

Hung councils may form coalitions. Voters should watch service scorecards more than slogans — Voter Pulse tracks issue priorities, not party scoreboards.