South Africa’s fifth general elections, held on 7 May 2014, concluded the country’s
second decade of democracy. Following a competitive campaign the African National
Congress (ANC) was returned to power with a reduced majority at 62% of the vote share at
the national level, and continues as the majority party in eight of the nine provinces.i The
character of the 2014 election was distinctly competitive. Several provinces were platforms
for fiercely fought campaigns, with outcomes less than certain. Some predicted that the ANC
might lose its majority in South Africa’s richest province, Gauteng. The Northern Cape and
Western Cape were electoral battlegrounds for the largest opposition party, the Democratic
Alliance (DA); and the newcomer Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by former ANC Youth
League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema, posed a tangible threat in northern provinces that
have traditional ties to the ANC. In the months preceding the elections a troubled economy,
labour unrest and a series of governance scandals threatened public trust in government and
raised questions about whether the ANC’s margin of victory might be significantly reduced.
Yet, the 2014 elections confirmed what many suspected; that the party’s hold over the
electorate withstood the increasing challenge posed by a revitalised opposition block. The
largest opposition party, the DA, increased its vote share by from 17% to 22% at the national
level yet it was unable to unseat the ANC in any legislature. The EFF made its presence felt by
establishing itself as the third largest national party at 6%, and positioning itself as main
opposition in two of the ANC’s provincial strongholds.