List of political parties in South Africa

This is a list of political parties in South Africa. For most of its recent history, South Africa has functioned as a democratic state but with a one-party dominant system, with the African National Congress (ANC) as the governing party. as a result the country has been governed by a ten-member coalition called the Government of National Unity consisting of the ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Good, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, and Rise Mzansi. The DA governs the Western Cape Province and a number of municipalities, some in coalitions with smaller parties.

Parliamentary parties

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Name

!class=unsortable|Abbr.

!Leader

!Est.

!class=unsortable|Main Ideologies

!Political position

!National Assembly

!NCOP

! Provincial legislatures

! Municipal council seats

|bgcolor=|

| African National Congress

| class="org" |ANC

|Cyril Ramaphosa

|1912

|Centre to

|bgcolor=|

| Democratic Alliance

| class="org" |DA

|2000

|Centre to

| bgcolor= |

|uMkhonto weSizwe

|MK

|Jacob Zuma

|2023

|Left-wing (fiscal) Right-wing (social)

| bgcolor="" |

| Economic Freedom Fighters

| class="org" |EFF

|Julius Malema

|2013

|Far-left

| bgcolor="" |

| Inkatha Freedom Party

|IFP

|Velenkosini Hlabisa

|1975

|Right-wing

| bgcolor="" |

|Patriotic Alliance

|PA

|Gayton McKenzie

|2013

|Right-wing to

| bgcolor="" |

| Freedom Front Plus

| class="org" |VF+

|Corné Mulder

|1994

|Right-wing

| bgcolor="" |

|ActionSA

|Herman Mashaba

|2020

|Centre-right

| bgcolor="" |

| African Christian Democratic Party

| class="org" |ACDP

|Kenneth Meshoe

|1993

|

| bgcolor="" |

| United Democratic Movement

| class="org" |UDM

|Bantu Holomisa

|1997

|Social democracy

|Centre-left

| bgcolor="" |

|Rise Mzansi

|RISE

|Songezo Zibi

|2023

|Third Way

|Centre-left

| bgcolor="" |

|Build One South Africa

|BOSA

|Mmusi Maimane

|2022

|Liberalism

|Centre

| bgcolor="" |

| African Transformation Movement

|ATM

|Vuyolwethu Zungula

|2018

|Centre-right

| bgcolor="" |

| Al Jama-ah

| class="org" |ALJAMA

|Ganief Hendricks

|2007

|Islamic democracy

|Left-wing (fiscal) Right-wing (social)

| bgcolor="" |

|National Coloured Congress

|CCC

|Fadiel Adams

|2020

| bgcolor="" |

| Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

| class="org" |PAC

|Mzwanele Nyhontso

|1959

|Left-wing

| bgcolor="" |

|United Africans Transformation

|UAT

|Wonder Mahlatsi

|2022

|Left-wing

| bgcolor="" |

| Good

| class="org" |GOOD

|Patricia de Lille

|2018

|Social liberalism

|Centre-left

Other parties with representation

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Name

!Abbrev.

!Leader

!Founded

!Main Ideologies

!Political position

!Municipal council seats

| bgcolor="" |

|National Freedom Party

|NFP

|Ivan Rowan Barnes

|2011

|Egalitarianism Social democracy

|Centre-left

| bgcolor="" |

|African Independent Congress

|AIC

|Mandla Galo

|2005

|Social conservatism

|Centre-right

|bgcolor=|

|Forum for Service Delivery

|F4SD

|Mbahare Johannes Kekana

|2015

|bgcolor=#4EA338|

|Abantu Batho Congress

|ABC

|Philani Mavundla

|2021

|bgcolor=|

|MAP16 Civic Movement

|MAP16

|2018

| bgcolor="" |

|Congress of the People

|COPE

|Mosiuoa Lekota

|2008

|Social democracy Social liberalism

|Centre-left

|bgcolor=|

|Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa

|ICOSA

|Jeffrey Donson

|2006

|bgcolor=|

|African People's Convention

|APC

|Themba Godi

|2007

|African nationalism Pan-Africanism

|Left-wing

|bgcolor=|

|African People's Movement

|APEMO

|Vikizitha Mlotshwa

|Centre-left

|

|bgcolor=|

|United Christian Democratic Party

|UCDP

|Isaac Sipho Mfundisi

|1997

|Christian democracy Federalism

|Centre-right

|bgcolor=|

|Team Sugar South Africa

|TSSA

|Musa Thwala

|2019

|Far-left

|bgcolor=|

|Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners

|PBI

|2016

|Anti-corruption

|bgcolor=#D5665B|

|Bolsheviks Party of South Africa

|BPSA

|Fanie Mogotji

|2016

|Marxism–Leninism

|Far-left

|bgcolor=silver|

|United Independent Movement

|UIM

|Neil de Beer

|2020

|Centrism

|Centre-right

|bgcolor=|

|African Democratic Change

|ADeC

|Visvin Reddy

|2017

|Anti-corruption

|bgcolor=|

|Better Residents Association

|BRA

|Delta Mokoena (imprisoned)

|2011

|Localism

|bgcolor=|

|Azanian People's Organisation

|AZAPO

|Nelvis Qekema

|1978

|Black Consciousness Socialism

|Left-wing to far-left

|bgcolor=|

|Democratic Liberal Congress

|DLC

|Patrick Pillay

|2016

|Liberalism Environmentalism

|Centre

|bgcolor=|

|International Revelation Congress

|IRC

|Te Mammba

|2013

|Social conservatism Social welfare

|bgcolor=|

|Power of Africans Unity

|PAU

|Julius Nsingwane

|2016

|bgcolor=|

|South African Maintenance and Estate Beneficiaries Association

|SAMEBA

|Makgorometse Gift Makhaba

|2014

|bgcolor=|

|Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats

|AASD

|Pappie Mokoena

|2019

|Social democracy Pan-Africanism

|Centre-left

|bgcolor=hotpink|

|Africa Restoration Alliance

|ARA

|Jerome Swartz

|2020

|bgcolor=|

|Minority Front

|MF

|Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

|1993

|Indian interests

|bgcolor=|

|People's Revolutionary Movement

|PRM

|Nhlanhla Buthelezi

|2016

|Social conservatism National conservatism

|Left-wing (fiscal) Right-wing (social)

|bgcolor=|

|Cape Independence Party

|CAPEXIT

|Jack Miller

|2007

|Cape independence Direct democracy

|Right-wing

|bgcolor=|

|National People's Front

|NAPF

|Bheki Gumbi

|2018

Non-parliamentary parties

#Hope4SA
Africa Muslim Party (AMP)
African Change Academy
African Christian Alliance (ACA)
African Congress for Transformation
African Content Movement (ACM)
African Covenant (ACO)
African Mantungwa Community (AC)
African Renaissance Unity (ARU)
African Security Congress (ASC)
Afrikaner Volksparty
Agang South Africa
All Things Are Possible
Alliance for Transformation for All (ATA)
Alliance of Citizens for Change (ACC)
Arise SA
Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB)
Black First Land First (BLF)
Cape Muslim Congress (CMC)
Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP)
Change Starts Now (CSN)
Christian Democratic Party (CDP)
Civic Warriors of Maruleng (CWM)
Compatriots of South Africa (CSA)
Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front (DPF)
Dagga Party (IQELA LE)
Democratic Independent Party (DI)
Dikwankwetla Party (DPSA)
Economic Emancipation Forum (EEF)
ECOPEACE Party (ECOPEACE)
Federal Party SA (FPSA)
Free Democrats (FREE DEM)
Gazankulu Liberation Congress (GLC)
Green Party of South Africa (GPSA)
Karoo Democratic Force (KDF)
Karoo Gemeenskap Party (KGP)
Keep It Straight and Simple Party (KISS Party)
Kingdom Governance Movement
Labour Party
Land Party (LAND)
National Conservative Party of South Africa (NKP)
National People's Ambassadors (NPA)
National Religious Freedom Party (NRFP)
New South Africa Party
Operation Dudula
Organic Humanity Movement (OHM)
Pan Africanist Movement (PAM)
Peace and Justice Congress (PJC)
People's Movement for Change (PMC)
Socialist Green Coalition (SGC)
Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP)
South African Communist Party (SACP) – part of the ANC-led "Tripartite Alliance"
South African National Congress of Traditional Authorities (SANCOTA)
South African Political Party (SAPP)
South African Rainbow Alliance (SARA)
Spectrum National Party (SNP)
Sterkspruit Civic Association (SCA)
The Peoples Independent Civic Organisation (TPICO)
True Freedom Party
Truly Alliance (TA)
Unite for Change
United Congress (UNICO)
Uniting People First
Us the People (US)
Women Forward (WF)
Workers and Socialist Party (WASP)
Ximoko Party (XP)

Defunct parties

{| class="wikitable"

|+Defunct Parliamentary Parties (1994 – Present)

! colspan="2" |Name

!Abbrev.

!Founded

!Dissolved

!Main Ideologies

!Peak MPs (year)

|Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging

|AEB

|1998

|2003

|Afrikaner nationalism Conservatism

|1 (1999)

|bgcolor=|

|Democratic Party

|DP

|1989

|2000

|Conservative liberalism Economic liberalism

|38 (1999)

|Federal Alliance

|FA

|1998

|2007

|Conservatism Libertarianism

|2 (1999)

|bgcolor=|

|Independent Democrats

|ID

|2003

|2014

|Populism Social liberalism

|7 (2004)

|bgcolor=|

|National Party

|NP

|1914

|1997

|Christian democracy Conservative liberalism

|82 (1994)

|bgcolor=|

|New National Party

|NNP

|1997

|2005

|Civic nationalism Conservatism

|28 (1999)

{| class="wikitable"

|+Defunct Parliamentary Parties (1958–1994)

! colspan="2" |Name

!Abbrev.

!Founded

!Dissolved

!Main Ideologies

|bgcolor=|

|Conservative Party

|KP

|1982

|2004

|Afrikaner nationalism Social conservatism

|bgcolor=|

|Labour Party

|AP

|1969

|1994

|Coloured people's rights Anti-apartheid Labourism Social democracy

|National Union

|NU

|1960

|1966

|Centrism Social conservatism

|bgcolor=|

|New Republic Party

|NRP

|1977

|1988

|Conservatism Consociationalism

|bgcolor=|

|Progressive Federal Party

|PFP

|1977

|1989

|Anti-racism Liberalism

|bgcolor=|

|Progressive Party

|PP

|1959

|1975

|Anti-racism Liberalism

|South African Party

|SAP

|1977

|1980

|Conservatism Federalism

|bgcolor=|

|United Party

|UP

|1934

|1977

|Conservative liberalism Monarchism

{| class="wikitable"

|+Defunct Parliamentary Parties (1910–1958)

! colspan="2" |Name

!Abbrev.

!Founded

!Dissolved

!Main Ideologies

|bgcolor=|

|Afrikaner Party

|AP

|1941

|1951

|Afrikaner nationalism Conservatism

|bgcolor=|

|Dominion Party

|DP

|1934

|1948

|Conservatism Monarchism

|bgcolor=|

|Herenigde Nasionale Party

|HNP

|1940

|1948

|Afrikaner nationalism Social conservatism

|bgcolor=|

|Labour Party

|LP

|1910

|1958

|Democratic socialism Social democracy

|bgcolor=|

|Purified National Party

|GNP

|1935

|1940

|Afrikaner nationalism Social conservatism

|Roos Party

|RP

|1929

|1935

|Afrikaner nationalism Monetary reform

|bgcolor=|

|Socialist League

|SP

|1915

|1921

|Socialism

|bgcolor=|

|Socialist Party

|SP

|1938

|1948

|Democratic socialism Social democracy

|bgcolor=|

|South African Party

|SAP

|1910

|1934

|Afrikaner nationalism Liberal conservatism

|bgcolor=|

|Unionist Party

|UP

|1910

|1920

|Monarchism Protectionism

Other defunct parties

Abolition of Income Tax and Usury Party (1994–?)
Boerestaat Party (BSP)
Christen Party/Christian Party (2005–?)
Christian Democratic Alliance (?–2009)
Christian Front (CF) (???–2014)
Democratic Left Front (2011–2015)
Democratic Party (DP; 1973–1977)
Dominion Party (1934–1948)
Federation of Democrats (2005–?)
Front Nasionaal (FN; 2013–2020) (previously Federale Vryheidsparty)
Herstigte Nasionale Party (HNP)
Khoisan Aboriginal and Others Movement (2008–?)
Liberal Party of South Africa (1953–1968)
Nasionale Aksie (NA; 2003–2004)
National Alliance (NA; 2009)
National Democratic Convention (NADECO; 2005–2009)
National People's Party (NPP; 2007–2016)
New Labour Party (NLP; 2004–2009)
Pro-death Penalty Party (2004?)
Progressive Reform Party (1975–1977)
Referendum Party (2023–2026)
Reform Party (1975–1975)
Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA; 1998–2014)
South African Business Party (SABP; ?–2012)
South African Democratic Congress (Sadeco; 2008–2011)
Ubuntu Party (2012–2020)
United Independent Front (UIF; 2005–2010)
Workers Organisation for Socialist Action (WOSA; 1990–?)
Xiluva (2023–2024)

References

External links

Independent Electoral Commission
ANC's foes rise up
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: Political Parties in South Africa

Parliamentary parties

Other parties with representation

Non-parliamentary parties

Defunct parties

Other defunct parties

See also

References

External links