The World Bank in South Africa

South Africa’s political transition is known as one of the most remarkable political feats of the past century. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) had driven the policy agenda since 1994 until August 2016, when the country held the most competitive local government election in which the ANC lost majority support in four of the metropolitan cities. Political parties negotiated coalition deals that have left the ANC unseated in Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay. The last local government elections were held in November 2021, where the ANC’s support fell below 50% for the first time across all elections since the dawn of democracy. This result reinforced the new era of coalition politics particularly in the metros. The next general elections will be held in 2024.