ANC retains strong edge with women voters as South African political rivalries sharpen
A new poll shows South Africa’s African National Congress still holds a wide lead among women voters, even as rival parties sharpen their attacks on
A new poll shows South Africa’s African National Congress still holds a wide lead among women voters, even as rival parties sharpen their attacks on the governing party and internal tensions continue to spill into public view. The finding lands at a sensitive moment for the ANC, which has spent months fending off criticism from the Democratic Alliance, navigating friction with the SACP and projecting stability around its leadership.
Women remain a crucial base
The poll, highlighted by News24, suggests the ANC continues to enjoy a large advantage with women support. That matters because women voters have long been a decisive bloc in South African politics, shaping outcomes not only in national elections but also in municipal contests where turnout and party loyalty can swing quickly.
For the ANC, the result offers one of the few clear signs of resilience. The party has faced public pressure on several fronts this year, from leadership questions to disputes with allies and opponents alike. Yet the women’s support data points to a core constituency that has not shifted away in the same way some other voters may have.
The broader political backdrop is rougher. Opposition parties have been stepping up their messaging, and the ANC has had to respond while managing its own internal strains.
Opponents press their case
In late May, the Democratic Alliance leader opened an attack on the ANC and left-wing parties, framing them as stuck in “old politics.” The message was aimed well beyond party activists. It was a bid to reshape the national debate and widen the coalition against the ANC.
That same pressure has run alongside other political headaches for the governing party. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a video published in May, pushed back against speculation over his future and said plainly: “I will not resign.” The intervention underlined how much of South Africa’s politics this year has revolved around leadership uncertainty as much as policy.
The ANC’s support among women, then, sits inside a wider struggle for political trust. Parties are not just fighting over votes. They are fighting over credibility, discipline and the right to define what comes next.
Tensions inside the wider liberation camp
The governing bloc has also dealt with bruising internal friction. In August, a provincial lawmaker was removed by telephone, an episode described as a “badge of honour” as tensions between the ANC and the SACP deepened. Earlier in June, the Public Service Commission warned state officials against ANC study groups, a reminder that the party’s reach into public institutions remains a live issue.
Those episodes matter because they feed the same question the poll raises: how much of the ANC’s traditional support still holds, and where is it vulnerable? Women voters appear to be one area where the party still has an advantage, even as other segments of the electorate look increasingly open to challenge.
With local and national political battles still unfolding, the ANC’s female base may prove important in the months ahead. The poll does not solve the party’s problems. But it shows the governing movement still has one firm pillar left standing.
