This week’s brief highlights key findings from the monitoring period spanning 03 September to 10 September 2026, during which 335 election-related items were recorded and analysed. This represents a noticeable increase in media activity compared to the previous reporting period, which captured 208 election-related news stories. The increase could be attributed to amongst other things, the 28 August deadline for political parties to submit their candidates list to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

The main trends from this monitoring cycle illustrate the shifting dynamics of election narratives across the country. By analysing these 208 news items, the findings pinpoint which local government issues received the most attention, map out the overall visibility of various political parties, and highlight the gender breakdown between male and female voices shaping the discourse.

Read the complete brief below