Editing Politics of South Africa (section)

==Political parties and their current vote share==
{{elect|List of political parties in South Africa|Elections in South Africa}}
General elections take place every 5 years. The first fully non-racial democratic election was held in [[1994 South African general election|1994]]. Subsequent elections were held in [[1999 South African general election|1999]], [[2004 South African general election|2004]], [[2009 South African general election|2009]], [[2014 South African general election|2014]], [[2019 South African general election|2019]], and [[2024 South African general election|2024]]. Until 2008, elected officials were allowed to change political party, while retaining their seats, during set windows which occurred twice each electoral term, due to controversial [[Floor crossing (South Africa)|floor crossing]] legislative amendments made in 2002. The last two-floor crossing windows occurred in 2005 and in 2007.

After the 2009 elections, the ANC lost its two-thirds majority in the national legislature which had allowed it to unilaterally alter the constitution.

The [[Congress of South African Trade Unions]] (COSATU) and the [[South African Communist Party]] (SACP) are in a formal alliance with the ruling ANC (the so-called ''Tripartite Alliance''), and thus do not stand separately for election.

During the [[South African general election, 2024|2024 general election]], the ANC lost its majority in the national parliament for the first time in South Africa's democratic history, though it still remained the largest political party.<ref>{{cite web |title=IEC election results home - Electoral Commission of South Africa |url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/ |website=results.elections.org.za}}</ref>{{Election results||image=[[File:2024 South African National Assembly.svg|440px]]|firstround=National ballot|secondround=Regional ballot|party1=[[African National Congress]]|votes1=6459683|seats1=73|votes1_2=6231519|seats1_2=86|totseats1=159|sc1={{decrease}} 71|sw1={{decrease}} 17.32|sw1_2=—|party2=[[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]]|votes2=3505735|seats2=42|votes2_2=3439272|seats2_2=45|totseats2=87|sc2={{increase}} 3|sw2={{increase}} 1.04|sw2_2=—|party3=[[uMkhonto we Sizwe (political party)|uMkhonto weSizwe]]|votes3=2344309|seats3=31|votes3_2=2237877|seats3_2=27|totseats3=58|sc3=New|sw3=New|sw3_2=—|party4=[[Economic Freedom Fighters]]|votes4=1529961|seats4=17|votes4_2=1556965|seats4_2=22|totseats4=39|sc4={{decrease}} 5|sw4={{decrease}} 1.28|sw4_2=—|party5=[[Inkatha Freedom Party]]|votes5=618207|seats5=8|votes5_2=688570|seats5_2=9|totseats5=17|sc5={{increase}} 3|sw5={{increase}} 0.47|sw5_2=—|party6=[[Patriotic Alliance]]|votes6=330425|seats6=5|votes6_2=345880|seats6_2=4|totseats6=9|sc6={{increase}} 9|sw6={{increase}} 2.02|sw6_2=—|party7=[[Freedom Front Plus]]|votes7=218850|seats7=4|votes7_2=234477|seats7_2=2|totseats7=6|sc7={{decrease}} 4|sw7={{decrease}} 1.02|sw7_2=—|party8=[[ActionSA]]|votes8=192373|seats8=4|votes8_2=219477|seats8_2=2|totseats8=6|sc8=New|sw8=New|sw8_2=—|party9=[[African Christian Democratic Party]]|votes9=96575|seats9=3|votes9_2=93581|seats9_2=0|totseats9=3|sc9={{decrease}} 1|sw9={{decrease}} 0.24|sw9_2=—|party10=[[United Democratic Movement]]|votes10=78448|seats10=2|votes10_2=85618|seats10_2=1|totseats10=3|sc10={{increase}} 1|sw10={{increase}} 0.04|sw10_2=—|party11=[[Rise Mzansi]]|votes11=67975|seats11=1|votes11_2=70142|seats11_2=1|totseats11=2|sc11=New|sw11=New|sw11_2=—|party12=[[Build One South Africa]]|votes12=65912|seats12=2|votes12_2=69020|seats12_2=0|totseats12=2|sc12=New|sw12=New|sw12_2=—|party13=[[African Transformation Movement]]|votes13=63554|seats13=2|votes13_2=66831|seats13_2=0|totseats13=2|sc13={{steady}} 0|sw13={{decrease}} 0.04|sw13_2=—|party14=[[Al Jama-ah]]|votes14=39067|seats14=2|votes14_2=53337|seats14_2=0|totseats14=2|sc14={{increase}} 1|sw14={{increase}} 0.06|sw14_2=—|party15=[[National Coloured Congress]]|votes15=37422|seats15=1|votes15_2=47178|seats15_2=1|totseats15=2|sc15=New|sw15=New|sw15_2=—|party16=[[Pan Africanist Congress of Azania]]|votes16=36716|seats16=1|votes16_2=40788|seats16_2=0|totseats16=1|sc16={{steady}} 0|sw16={{increase}} 0.04|sw16_2=—|party17=[[United Africans Transformation]]|votes17=35679|seats17=1|votes17_2=32185|seats17_2=0|totseats17=1|sc17=New|sw17=New|sw17_2=—|party18=[[Good (political party)|Good]]|votes18=29501|seats18=1|votes18_2=36103|seats18_2=0|totseats18=1|sc18={{decrease}} 1|sw18={{decrease}} 0.22|sw18_2=—|party19=[[Hope4SA]]|votes19=27206|seats19=0|votes19_2=16872|seats19_2=0|totseats19=0|sc19=New|sw19=New|sw19_2=—|party20=[[Allied Movement for Change]]|votes20=22055|seats20=0|votes20_2=18393|seats20_2=0|totseats20=0|sc20=New|sw20=New|sw20_2=—|party21=[[United Independent Movement]]|votes21=20003|seats21=0|votes21_2=18907|seats21_2=0|totseats21=0|sc21=New|sw21=New|sw21_2=—|party22=[[African Independent Congress]]|votes22=19900|seats22=0|votes22_2=3833|seats22_2=0|totseats22=0|sc22={{steady}} 0|sw22={{decrease}} 0.16|sw22_2=—|party23=[[National Freedom Party]]|votes23=19397|seats23=0|votes23_2=22726|seats23_2=0|totseats23=0|sc23={{decrease}} 2|sw23={{decrease}} 0.23|sw23_2=—|party24=[[Azanian People's Organisation]]|votes24=19048|seats24=0|votes24_2=18741|seats24_2=0|totseats24=0|sc24={{steady}}|sw24={{increase}} 0.05|sw24_2=—|party25=[[African Congress for Transformation]]|votes25=18354|seats25=0|votes25_2=348|seats25_2=0|totseats25=0|sc25=New|sw25=New|sw25_2=—|party26=[[African Heart Congress]]|votes26=16306|seats26=0|votes26_2=3579|seats26_2=0|totseats26=0|sc26=New|sw26=New|sw26_2=—|party27=[[Congress of the People (South African political party)|Congress of the People]]|votes27=14177|seats27=0|votes27_2=16768|seats27_2=0|totseats27=0|sc27={{decrease}} 2|sw27={{decrease}} 0.18|sw27_2=—|party28=[[African People's Convention]]|votes28=13195|seats28=0|votes28_2=14693|seats28_2=0|totseats28=0|sc28={{steady}} 0|sw28={{decrease}} 0.03|sw28_2=—|party29=[[Africa Restoration Alliance]]|votes29=11108|seats29=0|votes29_2=12651|seats29_2=0|totseats29=0|sc29=New|sw29=New|sw29_2=—|party30=[[Forum for Service Delivery]]|votes30=11077|seats30=0|votes30_2=7444|seats30_2=0|totseats30=0|sc30={{steady}} 0|sw30={{increase}} 0.03|sw30_2=—|party31=[[Democratic Liberal Congress]]|votes31=10904|seats31=0|votes31_2=7022|seats31_2=0|totseats31=0|sc31={{steady}} 0|sw31={{increase}} 0.01|sw31_2=—|party32=[[Alliance of Citizens for Change]]|votes32=9336|seats32=0|votes32_2=11217|seats32_2=0|totseats32=0|sc32=New|sw32=New|sw32_2=—|party33={{ill|Action Alliance Development Party|af|Action Alliance Development Party}}|votes33=7802|seats33=0|votes33_2=4600|seats33_2=0|totseats33=0|sc33=New|colour33=#B20226|sw33=New|sw33_2=—|party34={{ill|Conservatives in Action|af|Conservatives in Action}}|votes34=7424|seats34=0|votes34_2=1115|seats34_2=0|totseats34=0|sc34=New|colour34=#0021A8|sw34=New|sw34_2=—|party35={{ill|South African Royal Kingdoms Organisation|af|South African Royal Kingdoms Organization
}}|votes35=6685|seats35=0|votes35_2=3195|seats35_2=0|totseats35=0|sc35=New|colour35=#957A11|sw35=New|sw35_2=—|party36={{ill|Northern Cape Communities Movement|af|Northern Cape Communities Movement}}|votes36=6629|seats36=0|votes36_2=7016|seats36_2=0|totseats36=0|sc36=New|colour36=#D94711|sw36=New|sw36_2=—|party37=[[People's Movement for Change (South Africa)|People's Movement for Change]]|votes37=5539|seats37=0|votes37_2=7045|seats37_2=0|totseats37=0|sc37=New|sw37=New|sw37_2=—|party38=[[Abantu Batho Congress]]|votes38=5531|seats38=0|votes38_2=3552|seats38_2=0|totseats38=0|sc38=New|sw38=New|sw38_2=—|party39={{ill|Economic Liberators Forum|af| Economic Liberators Forum South Africa}}|votes39=5408|seats39=0|votes39_2=7115|seats39_2=0|totseats39=0|sc39=New|colour39=#E7BE58|sw39=New|sw39_2=—|party40=[[Organic Humanity Movement]]|votes40=5241|seats40=0|votes40_2=6457|seats40_2=0|totseats40=0|sc40=New|colour40=#006959|sw40=New|sw40_2=—|party41=[[African Content Movement]]|votes41=5107|seats41=0|votes41_2=4617|seats41_2=0|totseats41=0|sc41={{steady}} 0|sw41={{steady}} 0.00|sw41_2=—|party42=[[Sizwe Ummah Nation]]|votes42=5016|seats42=0|votes42_2=4869|seats42_2=0|totseats42=0|sc42=New|sw42=New|sw42_2=—|party43=[[South African Rainbow Alliance]]|votes43=4796|seats43=0|votes43_2=7645|seats43_2=0|totseats43=0|sc43=New|sw43=New|sw43_2=—|party44=[[African People's Movement]]|votes44=4601|seats44=0|votes44_2=4200|seats44_2=0|totseats44=0|sc44=New|sw44=New|sw44_2=—|party45={{ill|Able Leadership|af|Able Leadership}}|votes45=3867|seats45=0|votes45_2=3161|seats45_2=0|totseats45=0|sc45=New|colour45=#929200|sw45=New|sw45_2=—|party46=[[Referendum Party (South Africa)|Referendum Party]]|votes46=3834|seats46=0|votes46_2=4206|seats46_2=0|totseats46=0|sc46=New|sw46=New|sw46_2=—|party47={{ill|All Citizens Party|af|All Citizens Party
}}|votes47=3693|seats47=0|votes47_2=1644|seats47_2=0|totseats47=0|sc47=New|colour47=#CE5828|sw47=New|sw47_2=—|party48={{ill|Africa Africans Reclaim|af|Africa Africans Reclaim}}|votes48=3371|seats48=0|votes48_2=2565|seats48_2=0|totseats48=0|sc48=New|colour48=#EB1D05|sw48=New|sw48_2=—|party49={{ill|Citizans|af|Citizans}}|votes49=2992|seats49=0|votes49_2=4084|seats49_2=0|totseats49=0|sc49=New|colour49=#122F4F|sw49=New|sw49_2=—|party50=[[Xiluva]]|votes50=2592|seats50=0|votes50_2=1167|seats50_2=0|totseats50=0|sc50=New|sw50=New|sw50_2=—|party51={{ill|African Movement Congress|af|African Movement Congress}}|votes51=2141|seats51=0|votes51_2=1550|seats51_2=0|totseats51=0|sc51=New|colour51=#00A400|sw51=New|sw51_2=—|party52=[[Free Democrats (South Africa)|Free Democrats]]|votes52=1992|seats52=0|votes52_2=2276|seats52_2=0|totseats52=0|sc52={{steady}} 0|sw52={{steady}} 0.00|sw52_2=—|party53=[[Zackie Achmat]] ([[Independent politician|Independent]])|votes53_2=10568|seats53_2=0|totseats53=0|sc53=New|color53={{party color|Independent}}|invalid=213437|invalid2=156834|total_sc=0|electorate=27782081|electorate2=27782081|source=[https://results.elections.org.za/dashboards/npe/ Electoral Commission of South Africa], [https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/live-blog-election-results-2024-ramaphosa-says-election-outcome-proves-our-democracy-is-strong-e424b252-0be5-4dd2-8290-3574a4e3d5b6 IOL]}}