Political party donor declarations to the IEC show the deep pockets behind sudden funding surges, with the DA the clear leader.
The coffers of several political parties saw a significant surge at the start of the year, with tens of millions in donor funding channelled into their accounts.
According to the latest report on disclosed party funding by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), several parties received their biggest donations in the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 period.
The quarter, which spanned from 1 January to 31 March 2026, saw parties declare upwards of R97.8-million in donor funding.
"This report is published against the backdrop of the recent announcement of the forthcoming 2026 local government elections (LGE), scheduled to take place on 4 November 2026. The declarations provide an early indication of intensified political fundraising and mobilisation associated with the commencement of an election period," said the IEC.
"This reporting cycle continues under the revised disclosure framework approved by the National Assembly, which increased the disclosure threshold from R100,000 to R200,000, and the annual upper donation limit from R15-million to R30-million."
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According to the amounts disclosed in the report, the DA saw the biggest surge in funding, with close to...
