South Africa is four months away from the 2026 local government elections and the political map is shifting fast.

Election analyst Wayne Sussman joins Mike Sham to break down the biggest battlegrounds: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, KZN, and more.

They unpack the DA’s pressure in Cape Town, the PA’s rise, MK’s strength in KZN and Mpumalanga, the ANC’s decline in key metros, ActionSA’s challenge, the EFF’s struggles, and why Johannesburg could become the biggest fight of the election.

Topics include:
• Can the DA keep Cape Town above 50%?
• Is Joburg now a Zille vs Mashaba fight?
• Will MK dominate KZN again?
• Why the PA is hurting both the ANC and DA
• The EFF’s post-2024 problem
• Which metros could change hands in 2026

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Chapters

0:00 South Africa heads into the 2026 local elections
0:38 Sponsor: Pace Car Rental
1:35 Why the by-election season matters
2:05 Western Cape: DA’s blue wall under pressure
3:00 PA inroads in Mossel Bay, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein & Swartland
5:18 Cape Town warning signs: Mitchells Plain, Athlone & Cape Flats
6:41 Could the DA lose its Cape Town majority?
8:50 Why the PA is the DA’s biggest threat in Cape Town
10:14 The “squeeze” on election day
11:08 Eastern Cape: ANC strength and Nelson Mandela Bay battle
13:02 Why the PA could be kingmaker in Nelson Mandela Bay
15:22 ActionSA and Athol Trollip in the Eastern Cape
16:38 Northern Cape: PA rise and DA decline
19:38 Local community parties and the Northern Cape factor
20:56 Northwest: ANC, EFF, DA and Freedom Front fight
23:18 DA vs Freedom Front among Afrikaans voters
24:57 Limpopo: ANC still dominant
26:40 Mpumalanga: MK’s big tremor beyond KZN
28:35 MK’s strength among Zulu and Siswati voters
29:22 Bushbuckridge: why the ANC still holds Mpumalanga
31:56 KZN: the million-dollar question
32:24 ANC could lose hundreds of councillors in KZN
33:16 EFF collapse and IFP growth
34:37 Why eThekwini and Msunduzi matter
36:38 Could MK win eThekwini outright?
37:50 Free State: no clean audits, but ANC may survive
40:56 Sasolburg, Zamdela and Maluti-a-Phofung volatility
41:56 Gauteng: Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Midvaal, Emfuleni and Joburg
42:19 Tshwane: DA vs ANC vs ActionSA
44:49 Ekurhuleni: ANC/DA budget deal and MK factor
46:26 Emfuleni: DA wins a black township ward
47:47 Mogale City and West Rand battleground
48:19 Johannesburg: ANC hit hard in township by-elections
50:14 Ramaphosa, Phala Phala and ANC leadership pressure
53:17 DA challenges: FMD, PA rise and Jordan Hill-Lewis
54:15 Helen Zille enters Joburg mayor race
55:32 Joburg prediction: DA largest party, but no one near 50%
56:43 Patriotic Alliance: Gayton McKenzie’s political strength
58:15 EFF crisis after MK’s rise
1:00:34 Final warning: turnout matters
1:00:48 Why voters must show up in 2026

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South Africa has talent, resilience and world-class people but no real leadership.

We unpack Ramaphosa’s silence, the illegal immigration crisis, failed local government, Phala Phala, the DA reshuffle delay, and why voters must start choosing leaders who can actually govern.

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Chapters

00:00 South Africa has no leadership
00:15 Welcome to the weekly update
00:29 Pace Car Rental sponsor
00:49 Who is really running South Africa?
01:40 Illegal immigration and the leadership vacuum
02:32 Mbeki, Zuma and Ramaphosa compared
03:55 Covid corruption and weak leadership
04:26 March and March crisis approaches
04:58 Lessons from the 2021 riots
05:38 What is South Africa’s game plan?
06:17 When leaders fail, citizens lead
06:52 Fees Must Fall and protest politics
07:24 South Africa is rowing in different directions
08:15 Leaders must lead by example
08:34 Zuma, Phala Phala and broken trust
09:17 Ramaphosa impeachment pressure
09:36 Who could lead after Cyril?
10:02 Local government audit disaster
10:45 No economic growth, high unemployment
11:31 DA reshuffle stuck on Cyril’s desk
12:33 Social Development vacancy still unresolved
13:40 Other African countries are eating our lunch
14:22 Why compromise leadership fails
14:38 Voters must choose better leaders
15:28 Bafana shows South Africa’s true potential
16:01 Stop electing the wrong people
16:32 Final thoughts

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For almost 50 years, Max du Preez has been at the centre of South African history.

In this exclusive conversation, he reflects on the 1976 Soweto Uprising, apartheid, the fall of the National Party, the rise of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa and where South Africa goes from here. He also discusses his new book, The End of Normal, and shares why he still believes in South Africa despite its many challenges.

Topics include:

The Soweto Uprising through the eyes of a journalist
The truth about the ANC's role in 1976
The birth of Vrye Weekblad
The end of apartheid
Mandela, Mbeki, Zuma and Ramaphosa
Why investigative journalism still matters
Why Max du Preez still believes in South Africa

📖 The End of Normal is available now.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Meeting Max du Preez
03:00 Witnessing the Soweto Uprising in 1976
08:15 Was the ANC behind 1976?
12:20 Reporting inside apartheid South Africa
19:30 Parliament, Namibia and disillusionment
30:10 The birth of Vrye Weekblad
43:00 The road to democracy
58:00 Mandela, De Klerk and negotiations
01:06:00 The ANC after 1994
01:17:00 State capture and investigative journalism
01:24:00 Is South Africa turning a corner?
01:31:00 Why business is keeping South Africa afloat
01:40:00 Why apartheid could never have survived
01:49:00 Hope for South Africa's future
01:57:30 Final thoughts


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Produced by Stream In Studios – https://podcast-room.co.za/
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This week, Mike Sham answers the biggest political questions submitted by the State of the Nation community.

From President Cyril Ramaphosa's impeachment battle to the future of South African democracy, the ANC, coalition politics and immigration, we tackle the issues that matter most to our viewers.

We discuss:

Whether democracy is working in South Africa
Why many political leaders are treated like monarchs
Whether politicians will finally face consequences for corruption
Which political parties are growing ahead of the local elections
Rise Mzansi, Build One South Africa and ActionSA's prospects
Whether the ANC and DA really differ on economic policy
The future of BEE and economic growth
What happens after the March and March immigration deadline
Whether Ramaphosa will survive the impeachment committee
What South Africa could look like after Ramaphosa leaves office
Live State of the Nation events coming soon

Do you agree with these predictions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 Your political questions answered
00:54 Are politicians becoming modern-day monarchs?
05:20 Will corruption finally have consequences?
10:01 Which political parties are growing?
13:13 ANC vs DA: Is there any economic difference?
15:29 The March and March immigration deadline
18:10 Will Ramaphosa survive impeachment?
20:54 What's next for the ANC and GNU?
21:20 State of the Nation live events announcement
21:33 Final thoughts

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Produced by Stream In Studios – https://podcast-room.co.za/
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After 30 years of largely ignoring illegal immigration, the ANC government has suddenly announced a new crackdown. Why now? What changed? And can it actually work?

In this Weekly Update, we examine the political, economic and social factors behind the ANC's dramatic shift on immigration policy and ask whether this is a genuine attempt to enforce the law or simply an election-year response to growing public pressure.

We discuss:
• The ANC's new five-point immigration plan
• Why illegal immigration has become a major political issue
• The role of the 2024 election in changing ANC strategy
• The growing influence of immigration-focused activist movements
• How immigration affects schools, healthcare and public services
• The political threat posed by MK and other parties
• Whether large-scale deportations are realistic
• What tougher border enforcement could mean for South Africa

Will this policy shift change anything, or is it simply too little, too late?

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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 Why the ANC suddenly changed course
00:50 Ramaphosa's new immigration stance
01:10 The ANC's five-point immigration plan
02:13 Why is the ANC acting now?
03:18 ANC struggle politics vs governing
05:05 The open borders debate
06:25 The 2024 election wake-up call
07:08 The BELA Act and school admissions debate
08:04 Border failures and law enforcement
09:19 Why the ANC fears losing power
10:43 Public opinion on immigration
10:56 March and March and the political landscape
11:51 MK Party and immigration politics
12:42 Will the ANC regain lost votes?
13:58 Could stricter immigration enforcement help SA?
15:10 Deportations, jobs and economic impact
16:23 Why large-scale removals may be impossible
17:27 What happens next?

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50 years after the Soweto Uprising, South Africa pauses to remember the courage of the school children who stood up against injustice. But an uncomfortable question remains: Were their dreams achieved or betrayed?

In this special Weekly Update, we reflect on the events of 16 June 1976 and ask whether the objectives of the young people who risked and in many cases lost their lives have truly been realised.

We discuss:
• What sparked the 1976 Soweto Uprising
• Why it was about far more than Afrikaans in schools
• The state of education 50 years later
• Access to universities and opportunities for young South Africans
• Youth unemployment and South Africa’s economic struggles
• Whether dignity, freedom and prosperity have been achieved
• What today’s leaders owe the generation of 1976

Did the children of 1976 succeed in changing South Africa forever or would they be disappointed by where the country stands today?

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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 50 years since the Soweto Uprising
00:41 Why 16 June 1976 changed South Africa
01:23 The beginning of the end of apartheid
02:25 What the children of 1976 wanted
03:50 It was about more than Afrikaans
05:01 Did democracy achieve their dreams?
05:14 The state of education today
06:05 University access after apartheid
07:40 Economic opportunity and unemployment
08:31 De-industrialisation, mining and infrastructure decay
09:27 Dignity, ownership and self-reliance
11:52 The painful irony of the 1976 generation
13:21 South Africa owes them better
14:28 Why their protest still matters today
15:40 Message to politicians
16:28 We owe their memory more

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