The cost of running South Africa’s local government elections on 4 November could reach or pass R4 billion, Moneyweb reported. This follows extra funding of R1.1 billion from National Treasury.
In May 2026, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials told parliament they had budgeted about R3.2 billion for the current financial year. In the months after that, the IEC found it would need the extra R1.1 billion, which Treasury has already approved.
The extra money is meant to support the voter registration drive. It will also cover the logistics and running costs of the elections.
“It is too early to determine the cost of the election,” said Masego Sheburi, the IEC’s deputy CEO for electoral operations, at a media briefing.
Sheburi said the IEC would issue a report after the elections, as the law requires. The report would include the accounts for all the money given to run the election programme, Sheburi said.
Based on public figures, Moneyweb said the 2026 polls would be the most expensive local government elections in the country’s democratic history. These figures have not been adjusted for inflation.
The IEC has said the money is in place to run the elections, even with an estimated shortfall of R1.65 billion. It told the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs it would ask for a rollover of funds. The commission said this would help it avoid buying delays that could hurt its readiness.
The IEC’s spending changes a lot from year to year. It carries unspent money from quiet years into election years, when costs are higher. In 2016, for example, its R1.5 billion allocation covered about R1.2 billion in election spending.
The projected cost of elections has grown from about R577 million in 2000 to R4 billion or more in 2026, according to Moneyweb.
Terry Tselane, a former IEC commissioner who now runs the elections company IEMSA, spoke to the SAfm Market Update with Moneyweb. He said the IEC would probably use about R3 billion this financial year, mainly because it is an election year.
“Many years ago, when I was still part of the commission, the costs were a little bit lower. It was almost R1.5 billion,” Tselane said.
He said the commission used to spend about R400 million on each of the two registration weekends held before every election. He said those costs had gone up, including technology and pay for electoral staff.
Political parties also face high costs. An opposition party leader, who asked not to be named, told Moneyweb that an effective campaign needs at least R50 million. Some campaigns can cost more than R300 million.
“Most of the money goes into travelling across the country, meeting potential voters, engaging and educating them about voting,” the party leader said.
The country has 29.2 million registered voters, but not all of them are expected to vote. Voter turnout has dropped over several election cycles.
The party leader said voter education mattered more because the IEC had faced budget cuts before. In the 2022 Budget, Treasury proposed cutting almost R770 million from the commission’s funding over three years.
Tselane said that when the IEC lacks money, it has to make compromises, and voter education suffers most. He said the commission can only do so much with the resources it has.
International observer missions have often described the IEC as a benchmark for election bodies in Africa, Moneyweb reported.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Moneyweb. Image: Moneyweb. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.