Local government is where politics gets real — your water, roads, rates, rubbish and electricity. But how much do we actually understand about the people and systems running our municipalities?
In a podcast brought to you by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, journalist Nickolaus Bauer cuts through the jargon, political noise and municipal mythology in South Africa’s Easy Elections Guide: Local Government 2026.
In this episode, he gets to grips with the most important metro in the country. Joburg is the biggest prize in the local government election – a city with a huge economy, R97bn budget, and sophisticated business and financial institutions. It’s also been a poisoned chalice for coalition politics. What’s the state of play ahead of November 4?