ActionSA’s rise in Tshwane: How a party founded in 2020 overtook the ANC

ActionSA has overtaken the ANC to become the second-largest party in the City of Tshwane, marking a significant breakthrough for the relatively young political party in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The party, founded by former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba in 2020, secured 48 of Tshwane’s 214 council seats, compared with the ANC’s 44.

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According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), ActionSA received 22.08% of the vote, placing it behind the Democratic Alliance (DA), which retained its position as the largest party in the capital with 74 seats and 34.37% support.

The ANC finished third with 20.22% of the vote.

The result gives ActionSA a potentially decisive role in negotiations over Tshwane’s next administration, with no party securing an outright majority.

From 19 seats to 48: ActionSA’s rise in Tshwane

ActionSA’s performance represents a substantial improvement on the 2021 local government elections.

Five years ago, the party received 8.6% of the vote and won 19 council seats in Tshwane.

It has now increased its representation to 48 seats, more than doubling its previous total.

The ANC, meanwhile, has experienced a significant decline. It won 75 seats in 2021 and was the largest party in the municipality, but has now fallen to third place.

ActionSA has also held the Tshwane mayoralty through Nasiphi Moya, who was elected mayor on 9 October 2024.

ActionSA breaks into traditional ANC strongholds

One of the most notable aspects of ActionSA’s performance is its reported success in winning wards previously dominated by the ANC.

In 2021, ActionSA failed to win a single ward in Tshwane, with all 19 of its council seats coming through proportional representation.

The party says it has now won 27 wards.

These include areas such as Atteridgeville, Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa, Soshanguve and Mamelodi, where the ANC has historically enjoyed significant support.

During the counting process, ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party had won every ward in Atteridgeville except one.

The ward victories mark a significant change from the party’s previous electoral performance in the capital.

Why did ActionSA gain support?

Moya has credited her time as mayor for the party’s improved performance, pointing to her accessibility and response to municipal challenges.

She has also described Tshwane as a potential blueprint for ActionSA’s ambitions elsewhere in the country.

Political analysts have pointed to Moya’s growing public profile and the party’s appeal to voters looking for alternatives to the ANC and EFF.

Oxford Economics Africa political analyst Louw Nel said Moya’s tenure as mayor had helped raise ActionSA’s profile.

However, the party’s political messaging, particularly its stance on immigration and foreigners, has also attracted criticism.

How has the ANC responded?

The ANC has acknowledged its disappointing performance in Tshwane and elsewhere.

First deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said the party did not believe it was on the verge of disappearing, adding that the election outcome provided an opportunity for it to reposition itself.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also said the party accepted the election result with humility.

ActionSA could decide who governs Tshwane

With 214 seats in the council, a party or coalition needs at least 108 seats to secure a majority.

The DA’s 74 seats and ActionSA’s 48 give the two parties a combined 122 seats, providing a potential route to a majority government without the ANC.

ActionSA has indicated that it wants Moya to remain mayor for another five-year term.

When she took office in October 2024, she became Tshwane’s fourth mayor in three years. ActionSA has since made political stability and an end to the city’s revolving door of mayors a central part of its message.

However, coalition negotiations could prove complicated.

ActionSA has said it is willing to work with parties committed to service delivery, stable governance and fighting corruption.

The DA, meanwhile, generally follows a coalition approach that favours the mayoralty going to the largest party in a governing arrangement.

The new council is expected to hold its inaugural meeting by approximately 22 November, when councillors will elect the next mayor.

Until then, ActionSA’s improved electoral position places it at the centre of negotiations over who will govern South Africa’s capital.