Political parties declare R116.8m in donations ahead of elections

Four political parties have declared a total of R116.8 million in donations in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, as fundraising intensifies ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says the declarations cover donations made between 1 April and 30 June 2026.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) accounts for approximately 89% of the total, declaring more than R104 million.

ActionSA declared R5.5 million, with the Labour Party of South Africa declaring R5 million and RISE Mzansi R2.25 million.

The commission says submissions it received relating to African National Congress (ANC) donations do not meet the requirements of the Political Funding Act and the applicable disclosure framework, involving R15.27 million in donations.

The IEC says the ANC-related donations have been excluded from the compliant total, while the party has been issued a Section 15 direction to address the deficiencies.

The commission stresses that the publication of these matters should not be construed as a finding that the underlying donations are unlawful but rather concerns compliance with statutory disclosure and verification requirements.

📢 Political Funding Declarations
1st quarter declaration of political party donations for the 2026/27 financial year, for the period from 1 April to 30 June 2026.

R116.8 million in donations has been declared from 4 political parties collectively.

Read: https://t.co/KytuC4CPZm pic.twitter.com/8uamMSvDSN

— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) August 27, 2026