South African voters are prioritising unemployment, crime, and water supply over traditional party allegiance as the 2026 local government elections approach, according to new surveys from Afrobarometer and Ipsos. The data shows 55% of citizens rank unemployment among their top three concerns, 47% feel no political party represents them, and only 38% believe their municipality is performing well.

Key Voter Concerns

Afrobarometer’s latest dispatch reveals that after unemployment, crime and security is a top-three priority for 35% of South Africans, followed by water supply (31%), infrastructure and roads (28%), and corruption (21%). Electricity supply registers at 18%, while housing, health, and education trail at 16%, 15%, and 13% respectively.

Government performance ratings are starkly negative on the issues that matter most. The same survey found 96% of respondents rate government performance as “fairly badly” or “very badly” on job creation, and 92% say the same about fighting corruption.

“I am not voting for a party name or a history lesson. I am voting so that when I finish my degree, there’s an actual job waiting for me.”

Thobeka Mnguni, a 21-year-old university student, told IOL. Her sentiment was echoed by Aisha Van Zyl, a 24-year-old job seeker, who added, “I’m voting against empty rhetoric and for any policy that creates real, sustainable entry-level jobs.”

Political Homelessness And Civic Response

Ipsos polling ahead of the local elections shows 47% of eligible voters feel politically homeless, yet 64% still want to vote and 66% say it is personally important. Only 38% give their municipality a positive performance rating, and 63% back the idea that parties should work together in local government.

For the upcoming municipal vote, Ipsos measured support at 38% for the ANC, 22% for the DA, 14% for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, 12% for the EFF, and 4% for ActionSA. The figures underline a fragmented landscape where no single party commands a majority of trust.

In several municipalities, citizens are bypassing party structures entirely. The Joburg Crisis Alliance has coordinated pothole repairs and library reopenings, while the eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement challenges tariff hikes. “People have to decide between food and paying the municipality,” said Asad Gaffar, chairperson of that movement.

Political analyst Sethulego Matebesi of the University of the Free State cautioned that “communities cannot ignore the serious challenges facing the country. They should not respond by abandoning their responsibility to participate in elections.” The legally mandated window for the 2026 local government elections runs from 2 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, with turnout expected to reflect these deep-seated frustrations.