With under two months to go before the 2026 local government elections, fresh polling from Ipsos suggests the political landscape in the City of Johannesburg may not shift as many businesses expect. Ipsos’s 'Poll of the People' places the African National Congress on 31% and the Democratic Alliance on 27% in the metro — figures that mirror party support in the 2024 Gauteng vote and that are forcing companies to confront the economic consequences of a stalled city administration.
Business decisions hinge on municipal direction
For employers large and small, municipal performance matters in concrete ways: safe streets, consistent electricity, functioning traffic and waste services, rate and tariff certainty, and efficient planning approvals. Boardrooms and owners are reported to be weighing whether to relocate headquarters, scale back investment or delay expansion plans until clarity emerges after the elections.
Some executives are said to be considering moving key functions and senior staff out of Johannesburg to other South African cities such as Stellenbosch or Cape Town. Others are holding off on capital expenditure in the metro, arguing that persistent governance issues and the threat of further decline will undermine returns on investment.
Polling context and divergence
Beyond Ipsos, other surveys have presented different pictures. Polling by groups described as closer to the DA’s narrative has suggested the DA may be substantially ahead in the city. One set of figures has the DA at about 42% and the ANC at roughly 18%. The Ipsos result, however, aligns more closely with the 2024 Gauteng election outcome in Johannesburg, when the ANC won 32% and the DA 24%.
| Source | ANC | DA |
|---|---|---|
| Ipsos (Poll of the People, Jun–Jul 2026) | 31% | 27% |
| 2024 Gauteng election (Joburg results) | 32% | 24% |
| Other polling (Social Research Foundation / Common Sense) | ~18% | ~42% |
What it means for jobs and household budgets
Decisions by corporate headquarters and major employers can ripple through the local economy. A firm relocating senior management and back-office functions reduces demand for high-income housing, professional services and hospitality in the city centre. If companies defer capital projects, that removes orders from construction firms, technology providers and suppliers — with knock-on job losses.
Crucially for households, a decline in investment can translate into slower wage growth and fewer opportunities, while a shrinking municipal tax base may push the city to raise tariffs or increase rates to balance budgets. Those cost increases fall directly on household budgets.
- Corporate relocations typically reduce demand for city-centre office space and services, hitting jobs in administration, legal and finance.
- Delayed investment dampens demand for construction and professional services, slowing local economic multipliers.
- A weaker municipal revenue base can lead to higher rates and tariffs, increasing costs for households.
Municipal governance also matters for investor perception. If businesses see no credible path to improved service delivery or fiscal management, they may opt for the certainty of other metros or towns, even where operating costs can be higher. That choice is as much about certainty and reliability as it is about immediate cost.
Outlook ahead of the vote
The Ipsos numbers complicate a simple narrative of a DA takeover in Johannesburg. For business leaders deciding whether to wait out the election or act now, the poll adds urgency: a continuation of the status quo could precipitate both headline corporate moves and quieter decisions to curtail investment. Over a decade, the cumulative effect of those quieter choices could be more damaging than any single relocation.
Investors and corporate executives will be watching municipal budgets, coalition manoeuvres and service-delivery plans closely in the weeks after the vote. For ordinary households, the key question is whether any change in city leadership leads to tangible improvements in the services that matter to everyday life — and whether those improvements translate into jobs and stable costs.
WE NEWS does not provide financial advice.
