# Buffalo City elections

The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of seats on the council.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ACDP | AIC | ANC | COPE | DA | EFF | PAC | UDM | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 1 | - | 73 | - | 12 | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 89 |
| 2006 election | 1 | - | 73 | - | 11 | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 89 |
| 2011 election | 1 | 2 | 71 | 3 | 21 | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 4 | 60 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 1 | 61 | 0 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 100 |

## December 2000 election

The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.
Buffalo City local election, 5 December 2000 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 154,360 | 157,746 | 312,106 | 80.4% | 41 | 32 | 73 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 24,440 | 25,723 | 50,163 | 12.9% | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 4,089 | 4,942 | 9,031 | 2.3% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 7,330 | – | 7,330 | 1.9% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 3,379 | 2,205 | 5,584 | 1.4% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 426 | 2,931 | 3,357 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 258 | 561 | 819 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 194,282 | 194,108 | 388,390 | | 45 | 44 | 89 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 194,282 | 194,108 | 388,390 | 98.0% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 3,658 | 4,073 | 7,731 | 2.0% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 197,940 | 198,181 | 396,121 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 199,243 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 341,665 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 58.3% |

## March 2006 election

The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.
Buffalo City local election, 1 March 2006 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 149,889 | 150,121 | 300,010 | 81.3% | 41 | 32 | 73 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 23,124 | 22,024 | 45,148 | 12.2% | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 6,190 | 5,496 | 11,686 | 3.2% | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 2,309 | 2,019 | 4,328 | 1.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 287 | 2,553 | 2,840 | 0.8% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Democrats | 582 | 1,216 | 1,798 | 0.5% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,664 | – | 1,664 | 0.5% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | United Independent Front | 415 | 551 | 966 | 0.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 61 | 359 | 420 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 29 | 234 | 263 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 184,550 | 184,573 | 369,123 | | 45 | 44 | 89 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 184,550 | 184,573 | 369,123 | 98.4% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 3,223 | 2,761 | 5,984 | 1.6% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 187,773 | 187,334 | 375,107 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 189,083 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 358,460 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 52.7% |

## May 2011 election

The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.
Buffalo City local election, 18 May 2011 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 150,914 | 146,919 | 297,833 | 70.0% | 43 | 28 | 71 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 44,083 | 43,062 | 87,145 | 20.5% | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| | Congress of the People | 4,296 | 7,867 | 12,163 | 2.9% | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 4,493 | 3,536 | 8,029 | 1.9% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Independent Congress | 355 | 7,616 | 7,971 | 1.9% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 5,668 | – | 5,668 | 1.3% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,687 | 1,485 | 3,172 | 0.7% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 1,130 | 1,563 | 2,693 | 0.6% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Movement | 279 | 492 | 771 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 212,905 | 212,540 | 425,445 | | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 212,905 | 212,540 | 425,445 | 98.3% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 3,408 | 4,016 | 7,424 | 1.7% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 216,313 | 216,556 | 432,869 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 218,108 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 384,910 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 56.7% |

## August 2016 election

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.
Buffalo City local election, 3 August 2016 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 131,698 | 136,354 | 268,052 | 58.7% | 45 | 15 | 60 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 53,374 | 53,416 | 106,790 | 23.4% | 5 | 19 | 24 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 17,697 | 18,693 | 36,390 | 8.0% | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| | African Independent Congress | 6,731 | 8,869 | 15,600 | 3.4% | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| | Independent candidates | 12,255 | – | 12,255 | 2.7% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 1,877 | 2,228 | 4,105 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 1,021 | 2,944 | 3,965 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Congress of the People | 1,655 | 2,258 | 3,913 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,275 | 1,244 | 2,519 | 0.6% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Front of the Eastern Cape | 623 | 730 | 1,353 | 0.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Movement | 88 | 446 | 534 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Congress | 204 | 224 | 428 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Peoples Alliance | 40 | 366 | 406 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 228,538 | 227,772 | 456,310 | | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 228,538 | 227,772 | 456,310 | 97.7% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 4,934 | 5,843 | 10,777 | 2.3% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 233,472 | 233,615 | 467,087 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 235,369 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 419,044 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 56.2% |

## November 2021 election

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.
Buffalo City local election, 1 November 2021 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 105,038 | 109,080 | 214,118 | 59.4% | 43 | 18 | 61 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 35,195 | 35,139 | 70,334 | 19.5% | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 21,165 | 22,301 | 43,466 | 12.1% | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| | Independent candidates | 8,383 | – | 8,383 | 2.3% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 1,476 | 1,990 | 3,466 | 1.0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 1,499 | 1,884 | 3,383 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 1,667 | 1,603 | 3,270 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 806 | 1,756 | 2,562 | 0.7% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 991 | 1,020 | 2,011 | 0.6% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 914 | 934 | 1,848 | 0.5% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 351 | 764 | 1,115 | 0.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent South African National Civic Organisation | 187 | 608 | 795 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Multicultural Economic Congress | 273 | 477 | 750 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Independent Movement | 334 | 414 | 748 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Good | 356 | 331 | 687 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 86 | 487 | 573 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 318 | 208 | 526 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Progressive Community Movement | 264 | 229 | 493 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Batho Pele Movement | 247 | 182 | 429 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Freedom Party | 94 | 285 | 379 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Africa Restoration Alliance | 141 | 80 | 221 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 114 | 100 | 214 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | The Organic Humanity Movement | 85 | 80 | 165 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | God Save Africa | – | 108 | 108 | 0.0% | – | 0 | 0 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 8 | 89 | 97 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Civic Independent | 17 | 73 | 90 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Arusha Economic Coalition | 8 | 43 | 51 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cape Coloured Congress | 12 | – | 12 | 0.0% | 0 | – | 0 |
| Total | Total | 180,029 | 180,265 | 360,294 | | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 180,029 | 180,265 | 360,294 | 98.2% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 2,937 | 3,571 | 6,508 | 1.8% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 182,966 | 183,836 | 366,802 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 185,525 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 406,486 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 45.6% |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 9 Oct 2024 | 12 | | African National Congress | | African National Congress |
| 9 Oct 2024 | 15 | | African National Congress | | African National Congress |