Princess Faku, the incumbent ANC mayor and Dr WB Rubusana regional chair, leads trader pricing at 72.5% due to her strong party positioning ahead of the November 4, 2026 local government elections. She tops the ANC’s proportional representation councillor list for Buffalo City and secured uncontested re-election as regional chair in late 2025, positioning her as the frontrunner should the ANC retain its council majority. Other ANC contenders including Ncedo Kumbaca, Simphiwe Dzengwa, Nocawe Mafu, Yomelela Tyali and Bongiwe Sauli trail in market pricing amid internal selection processes and unity concerns. Opposition candidates such as EFF’s Mkhululi Dlevu, UDM’s Nqabayomzi Kwankwa and smaller-party figures register low single-digit probabilities, reflecting the ANC’s historical dominance despite opposition pledges to target service delivery failures and billing issues. Recent campaign activity and candidate list finalization have reinforced Faku’s implied probability without major shifts in the final weeks before polling.