2024 KwaZulu-Natal provincial election

The 2024 KwaZulu-Natal provincial election was held on 29 May 2024, concurrently with the 2024 South African general election, to elect the 80 members of the 7th KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. The new MK party flipped KwaZulu Natal from the ANC, earning 37 out of 80 seats to gain a plurality. Conversely, the ANC itself plummeted to the third place, losing its majority in the legislature for the first time since 2004.

Results

Results by municipality

  MK-30-40%

  MK-40-50%

  MK-50-60%

  MK-60-70%

  IFP-40-50%

  IFP-50-60%

  IFP-70-80%

  ANC-50-60%

  DA-40-50%

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	uMkhonto we Sizwe	1,590,813	45.35	New	37	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	633,771	18.07	2.73	15	2
	African National Congress	595,958	16.99	27.23	14	30
	Democratic Alliance	468,515	13.36	0.54	11	0
	Economic Freedom Fighters	79,211	2.26	7.65	2	6
	National Freedom Party	19,548	0.56	1.01	1	0
	Moodley Thanasagren Rubbanathan	12,323	0.35	New	0	New
	African Christian Democratic Party	11,366	0.32	0.16	0	1
	ActionSA	9,569	0.27	New	0	New
	Allied Movement for Change	8,007	0.23	New	0	New
	Patriotic Alliance	7,843	0.22	New	0	New
	African Transformation Movement	6,477	0.18	0.31	0	1
	Democratic Liberal Congress	6,126	0.17	0.21	0	0
	Al Jama-ah	6,012	0.17	0.11	0	0
	Freedom Front Plus	5,638	0.16	0.15	0	0
	Build One South Africa	4,648	0.13	New	0	New
	African People's Movement	4,117	0.12	New	0	New
	Rise Mzansi	3,898	0.11	New	0	New
	Pan Africanist Congress of Azania	3,817	0.11	0.04	0	0
	Justice and Employment Party	3,626	0.10	0.13	0	0
	Congress of the People	3,615	0.10	0.04	0	0
	Abantu Batho Congress	3,214	0.09	New	0	New
	People's Freedom Party	3,162	0.09	New	0	New
	Sizwe Ummah Nation	2,731	0.08	New	0	New
	United Democratic Movement	2,565	0.07	0.03	0	0
	African Independent Congress	2,527	0.07	0.19	0	0
	African Movement Congress	2,049	0.06	New	0	New
	Good	2,005	0.06	0.05	0	0
	Arise SA	1,958	0.06	New	0	New
	African People First	1,007	0.03	New	0	New
	Economic Liberators Forum South Africa	679	0.02	New	0	New
	All Citizens Party	631	0.02	New	0	New
	Africa Restoration Alliance	629	0.02	New	0	New
Total		3,508,055	100.00	–	80	–
Valid votes		3,508,055	98.88
Invalid/blank votes		39,761	1.12
Total votes		3,547,816	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		5,738,249	61.83
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa

Aftermath

Following the election results, no party had an outright majority, leading coalition government to be inevitable. The NFP was regarded as a kingmaker, due to neither the MK-EFF block, or the ANC-DA-IFP block securing an outright majority. A couple of days before the first sitting of provincial legislatures, it was reported that a four way deal between the NFP, DA, IFP, and ANC was to take place while the NFP stated that it was open to coalition talks with any party that approached them in KZN, confirming that they had only held talks with the IFP and ANC. The NFP president later also met with MK party. The EFF publicly said they would back the MK part. The MK party, for its part, approached the IFP for coalition talks, however the IFP claimed the MK party did not show up for negotiations. The NFP later confirmed that they would join a government of provincial unity.

Despite gains in KwaZulu-Natal province during the general election, Jacob Zuma's MK party suffered a major setback in its heartland province on 14 June after the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislative opted to elect IFP member Thami Ntuli over an MK candidate as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. Ntuli defeated the MK Party's premier candidate, Zulu Nation's deputy prime minister Phathisizwe Chiliza, with 41 votes to 39. Ntuli is the first IFP member to serve as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal since 2004.