A by-election was held in the Free State on Wednesday, marking it the first of the year.
The poll, in Mantsopa (Ladybrand) in the southern Free State. saw the DA easily defend its seat.
On Wednesday the DA won 59%, just below the 63% it had managed in the 2021 local government election in the ward.
The ANC was second on Wednesday, with 38%, an improvement on the 31% it had won in 2021.
The EFF was a distant third, winning just below three percent of the vote in Wednesday’s by-election.
The DA will be pleased with the relatively easy hold, but the ANC will be heartened that initial signs, at least, seem to indicate that its support is remaining steady in the centre of the country.