With the 2026 local government election results pointing to fragmented political representation across several municipalities, attention is now shifting from the ballot box to the coalition negotiating tables. Across the country, no single party may have the numbers needed to govern in
certain municipalities, leaving political parties with the difficult task of finding partners, negotiating compromises and securing positions of power. The big question is: who is likely to partner with whom? Could we see unlikely alliances between political rivals? Will the ANC and DA find
themselves working together in some municipalities, while pursuing completely different coalition arrangements elsewhere? Could parties such as ActionSA, the EFF, IFP, Patriotic Alliance and smaller regional formations emerge as kingmakers? There are also different coalition models on the table, from broad governments of local unity and confidence-and-supply agreements to
formal multi-party coalitions. But how sustainable are these arrangements, particularly given South Africa's history of coalition instability, political fallouts and collapsing municipal governments?
We examine the possible coalition configurations emerging across the country, the political calculations informing these negotiations, which partnerships are realistic and which are unlikely, and what parties might have to concede to secure power. Ultimately, are political parties negotiating in the interests of communities, or are we about to witness another round of political horse-trading that could leave municipalities paralysed?