By-election results 2021 in South Africa came in rounds, held under COVID-19 restrictions and in the run-up to the local government elections of 1 November 2021. A large round took place on 19 May 2021, with wards in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Free State, while other rounds were postponed when lockdown levels rose. Official ward results are published by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

This guide explains how by-elections work, what the 2021 rounds showed, including in KwaZulu-Natal, and how to read them before the next local elections on 4 November 2026.

How by-elections work

A by-election fills a vacant ward seat on a municipal council. A seat becomes vacant when a ward councillor dies, resigns, is expelled from their party or is otherwise removed. Key points:

  1. Only the ward votes. Only voters registered in that ward take part.
  2. It is a ward race, not a council race. The winner takes the ward seat; proportional seats are not affected.
  3. The IEC runs it. The Electoral Commission organises the vote and publishes the results.
  4. Turnout is usually low. Many by-elections draw far fewer voters than general elections, which makes local organisation decisive.

By-election results 2021: the context

The year was unusual. Several rounds of by-elections had already been postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic, and in 2021 the IEC again had to ask the Electoral Court for postponements when restrictions tightened. Between the 2016 local elections and May 2021, close to a hundred ward seats changed hands in by-elections, a sign of how fluid local politics had become.

Some trends in 2021:

  • The ANC held most of its safe wards, especially in the Eastern Cape and in rural areas.
  • The DA faced pressure in several wards, including from smaller parties and independent candidates.
  • New and smaller parties such as ActionSA, the Freedom Front Plus and local civic movements contested more seats, especially in Gauteng metros.
  • The EFF grew its share in a number of urban wards.

KZN by-election results 2021

KwaZulu-Natal was one of the most closely watched provinces. By-elections there showed:

  • Growing competition for the ANC from the IFP in parts of the province, including a reported upset in uPhongolo.
  • EFF inroads in some eThekwini wards, where its vote share rose in successive by-elections.
  • A fragmented picture in wards such as eDumbe, where several parties, including the ABC and the IFP, competed for a seat previously held by the DA.

These signals foreshadowed the 1 November 2021 local elections, in which the ANC fell below 50% nationally for the first time and many councils were hung. We cover those results in elections 2021 South Africa.

How to read by-election results

  • Look at vote share, not only who won. A party can hold a ward with a much smaller majority, which is often the more important signal.
  • Compare with the last election in that ward. By-elections are about change over time.
  • Account for turnout. Low turnout can exaggerate swings.
  • Do not over-generalise. One ward is not the country, but several wards moving the same way can be a trend.

Official results, ward by ward, are on the IEC website.

Looking ahead: the 2026 local elections

South Africa's next local government elections are scheduled for 4 November 2026. By-elections held between 2021 and 2026 have again been watched as early indicators, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, where the arrival of the MK party has added a new competitor. Our overview of elections in South Africa, the IEC and what markets price explains how the system works, and if you want to work at a voting station, see IEC vacancies.

By-elections and prediction markets

By-elections are small, but they are a good example of how expectations change as new information arrives. Prediction markets summarise expectations in a price that can be read as an implied probability. If you are new to the topic, start with how prediction markets work, and before trading any election market, check its resolution source.

Next step

Want to try it yourself? Follow our guide on how to sign up for Polymarket, then see how to deposit and how to place your first trade. Start small and only use money you can afford to lose. Check where Polymarket is available before you begin.