The South African Communist Party (SACP) says its membership is approaching 400,000 as it prepares to contest South Africa’s 2026 local government elections independently of the African National Congress (ANC).
South African Communist Party approaches 400,000 members
In a message to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on 12 October, the party referred to its “nearly 400,000 members.”
The SACP reported approximately 340,000 members in July 2022 and more than 370,000 by its December 2024 Special National Congress. These figures indicate continued organisational growth.
The party’s independent electoral strategy follows a decision adopted at its December 2024 Special National Congress after years of debate over the future of its relationship with the ANC. The SACP argues that independent participation is necessary to strengthen working-class political representation and advance its socialist programme.
The move has sharpened tensions within the historic Tripartite Alliance of the SACP, ANC and COSATU. However, the SACP insists that contesting elections independently does not mean abandoning the Alliance or the National Democratic Revolution. It continues to call for the Alliance’s reconfiguration around a jointly agreed programme.
The party is campaigning on employment, public services, inequality and local economic development. Its growing reported membership provides an organisational base for the campaign, but its eventual electoral strength will depend on its ability to translate that membership into votes and effective local structures.