---
title: "Five national polls show DA building momentum in the metros"
description: "If the latest numbers are credible, the DA has the momentum in the metros and the ANC has fallen even farther back in September and early October."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026"
author: "Paul Berkowitz"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/paulberkowitz/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-11-02-five-national-polls-show-da-building-momentum-in-the-metros/"
published: "2026-11-02T18:19:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 263
---

# Five national polls show DA building momentum in the metros

> If the latest numbers are credible, the DA has the momentum in the metros and the ANC has fallen even farther back in September and early October.

By Paul Berkowitz · Published 2 November 2026, 20:19 SAST

## Key points
- Five national polls suggest the DA is gaining momentum ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
- Ipsos’s latest survey cuts the ANC-DA gap to just two percentage points, from six or seven previously.
- The findings strengthen the DA’s claim to be a government in waiting, while the ANC risks falling below 30%.
- If the trend carries into the metros, the DA could command coalitions across Gauteng and weaken the ANC’s grip on partners.

## Content

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the [limitations of national polling](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-20-four-national-polls-show-anc-decline-da-growth-and-mk-drift/) before a local government election. I may have undersold the value of national polls: they won’t tell you what’s going to happen in your neighbourhood or city, but they will give you an idea of the direction you’re heading.

Last week, Ipsos released its [second national poll,](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-30-mk-support-down-as-zuma-disappears-from-stump-new-big-poll/)the fifth national poll from various groups in the past four months. The previous polls put the gap between the ANC and the DA at six to seven percentage points. This new poll has the gap shrinking to just two points.

![DA momentum](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/WueXwb27YhhPlVyvBbS7H56zAig=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/National_polling_2026_1_736295.png)

![DA momentum](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/BdH8g5dcmW8jFWN0n5vEjUB6Gbo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/National_polling_2026_2_520272.png)

![DA momentum](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/eHwLnJsWKZWxXopFeP5BoBzRXWM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/National_polling_2026_3_787074.png)

If the latest numbers are credible, the DA has the momentum in the metros and the ANC has fallen even further back in September and early October. The value of the Ipsos poll to the DA is clear; its supporters have a tangible example of their power.

Insofar as local elections are a stepping stone for the next national campaign, the DA has its narrative as a government in waiting, about to overtake the ANC as the biggest party in South Africa. The 25% that the DA polled in the first Ipsos poll now looks like the party’s floor, while the ANC could still be in freefall, dipping below 30% and then lower over the next three years.

If the national polls translate into outsize returns in the metros for the DA (and corresponding losses for the ANC), the party could be in a position to command coalitions across Gauteng. Correspondingly, the ANC would have less authority to dictate terms to its partners. **DM**