South Africa is moving on from Mandela's party. Is a new Africa emerging?

Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald · Nov 3, 2026 · 29m

South Africa's politics are changing fast, and it may signal something much bigger.

The African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela and President Cyril Ramaphosa, is losing its grip on the country's biggest cities. In Johannesburg, years of failing services, power outages and frustration with government competence are reshaping how South Africans vote. For the first time, many voters are judging parties on delivery rather than liberation-era loyalties.

But that's only part of the story. The Economist's chief Africa correspondent John McDermott examines the new scramble for…