South Africa declares November 4 a public holiday for local elections
Cyril Ramaphosa has declared November 4, 2026, a national public holiday for municipal elections. Voters must cast their ballots in their registered constituencies, while employers are urged to allow them to go to the polls.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that November 4, 2026, will be a national public holiday to facilitate participation in local elections taking place across the country on that day.
The decision, made under Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act of 1994, applies nationwide. The presidency has urged employers to allow their employees to exercise their right to vote.
However, voters must go to the polling station corresponding to the municipal constituency where they are registered. The presidency clarified that a voter traveling on election day will not be able to transfer their vote to another polling station.
The election on November 4 will be held to elect representatives for local communities and to renew municipal councils. The date was officially added to the electoral calendar in August by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The Electoral Commission received 142,072 candidacies for the 2026 elections, which is approximately 43% more than in 2021. It announced the publication of the final list of candidates who met the legal requirements on September 16.
On September 4, the Electoral Commission implemented a code against misinformation. This code requires parties and candidates to correct false or misleading information and to clearly identify political content generated by artificial intelligence. The code will remain in effect until the results are announced.
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