South Africa’s political parties are raising a lot more money ahead of the local elections, with over R40 million collected in just three months. The DA leads by far, thanks to big donations from wealthy businesspeople, while the ANC depends mainly on one key partner, and ActionSA leans on its leader’s personal funds. New rules now allow bigger donations but also raise the bar on what must be publicly shared, stirring debates about transparency. This surge in fundraising means parties will have more cash to run bigger, flashier campaigns, making the upcoming elections more intense and competitive than ever before.
