34 new political parties registered since last year’s national and provincial elections

34 new political parties registered by the IEC

Zuko Komisa

• The Electoral Commission (IEC) has registered 34 new political parties since last year’s elections, bringing the total number to 472.
• Only 18 of these parties currently hold parliamentary seats, despite most being eligible to contest national elections.
• The breakdown reveals 287 parties are registered nationally, with the remaining 185 operating at provincial or municipal levels.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced the registration of 34 new political parties since last year’s national and provincial elections. This latest surge brings the total number of registered parties in the country to a staggering 472.

The revelation was made during a media briefing on Tuesday by Sy Mamabolo, the IEC’s chief electoral officer, who underscored the increasing number of organisations vying for a place on future ballot papers.

Mamabolo confirmed that thirteen of these new parties were registered in the period between July 2025 and the present day.

While the vast majority of these organisations are eligible to contest national elections, a considerable disparity exists in their parliamentary representation.

Currently, only 18 of the 472 registered parties hold seats in Parliament, highlighting the challenge for smaller parties to translate registration into electoral success.