ActionSA’s Historic Gains: What It Means For Soweto’s Future
ActionSA has made historic inroads into Soweto, a township that has been an ANC stronghold since 1994, securing approximately eight wards across the area and fundamentally altering the political landscape ahead of coalition negotiations in Johannesburg.
The party’s gains, confirmed by the final 2026 Local Government Election results, represent one of the most significant political shifts in Soweto’s post-apartheid history.
THE DOBSONVILLE UPSET
In a major blow to both the ANC and the DA, ActionSA snatched Dobsonville’s Ward 48 from the ANC. This was the first time the ANC had lost in Ward 48. The DA had poured significant resources into the ward, but ActionSA’s Kgadi Mogatusi secured the victory.
“We did not just win a ward. We won the trust of people who have been forgotten for decades,” Mogatusi said. “The people of Dobsonville spoke. They want change.”
PROTEA GLEN AND BEYOND
The gains were not confined to Dobsonville. In Protea Glen’s Ward 135, ActionSA secured 33.1% of the vote compared with the ANC’s 21.1%.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba also celebrated victories in Soweto’s Wards 47 and 48, congratulating Kabelo Moatshe and Kgadi Mogatusi as newly elected councillors. Nationally, ActionSA was on track to secure about eight wards in Soweto.
THE MNDENI SHIFT
An eNCA MarkData analysis revealed the depth of the ANC’s collapse in Soweto. In Mndeni, ActionSA dominated with 30% of the vote, while the ANC’s support dropped from 48% to 26%.
A chunk of the ANC’s lost support shifted to the MK Party, which secured 13%. Notably, the DA’s support in Soweto tripled, from 4% to 12%.
WHY VOTERS SWITCHED
For many Soweto residents, the shift to ActionSA was not an embrace of the party’s ideology, but a deliberate rejection of the ANC’s failure to deliver basic services.
“Water, electricity, housing, jobs. We have been waiting for these things for thirty years,” said a Protea Glen resident who asked not to be named. “The ANC had its chance. Now we want to see if someone else can do better.”
Another resident from Dobsonville said she voted for ActionSA because the party had directly engaged with the community. “They came to our streets. They listened. They did not just come with T-shirts and promises. They came with plans.”
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR COALITION TALKS
ActionSA’s gains in Soweto have made it a kingmaker in the Johannesburg coalition negotiations.
With the DA holding 91 seats, the ANC 63, and ActionSA 43, no party can govern alone. The 270-seat council requires 136 seats for an outright majority.
ActionSA has held talks with both the ANC and the EFF, describing the engagements as productive. However, the path to a stable coalition is complicated by ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba’s refusal to work with the DA, which he labelled “racist”.
For Soweto residents, the coalition talks will determine who controls the city’s budget and how resources are allocated to the township.
A WARNING FOR THE ANC
Political analysts say the Soweto results should serve as a warning for the ANC ahead of the 2029 national elections.
“Soweto is the heartbeat of the ANC. If they are losing this much ground here, they have a serious problem,” said a political analyst who asked not to be named. “The ANC can no longer take the township vote for granted.”
