The IEC has confirmed that the next local government elections will be held between 2 November 2026 and 31 January 2027.

Ward boundaries are being finalised, with voter registration preparations starting in October 2025.

This narrowed down timeframe for the elections for municipal councils to take place was announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) at the end of August this year.

In his briefing Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo, said the law provides that the term of a municipal council is five years and that elections must be held no later than 90 days following the end of the term. 

The current municipal councils were elected on 1 November 2021. 

“This means that the current term will end on 2 November 2026 … The authority to set a date and call an election lies with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs following consultation with the Commission,” Mamabolo said.

The IEC also reported that the Municipal Demarcation Board (MBD) is finalising the process of ward delimitation – the process of setting the geographic boundaries of individual wards in a municipality. 

“Municipal wards are the political boundaries within which a single councillor is elected based on the first-past-the-post principle,” the IEC explained in its statement.

The completed ward delimitation documents are expected to be handed to the Commission by October 2025. This will allow the Commission to start preparations for voter registration.

*Photo Credit: Jaime Lopes: Unsplash