How a liberation movement became South Africa's dominant political party for three decades

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1912 to advocate for black South African rights, the African National Congress evolved from a petitioning group into a governing force. After decades of exile and armed struggle against apartheid, it has held power since 1994, though its electoral dominance has recently faced unprecedented challenges.

The African National Congress (ANC) began as the South African Native National Congress in 1912, established by professional-class leaders like Pixley ka Isaka Seme and John Langalibalele Dube. For decades, it focused on petitioning, but the 1948 election of a government committed to institutionalised apartheid forced a shift toward mass mobilisation. This era saw the rise of activists like Nelson Mandela and the 1952 Defiance Campaign, which used civil disobedience to protest segregation laws.

Following the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, the government banned the ANC, driving it into exile. Operating from bases in countries like Zambia, the party formed an armed wing, uMkhonto weSizwe, in 1961 to conduct sabotage and guerrilla warfare. During this period, the ANC was designated a terrorist organisation by several Western nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, while receiving significant support from the Soviet Union. The ban was only lifted in 1990, paving the way for negotiations that ended apartheid.

Since 1994, the ANC has governed South Africa, identifying as both a political party and a liberation movement. It maintains a Tripartite Alliance with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions. While it has provided every president since the end of apartheid, its electoral majority has steadily declined. In the 2024 general election, the party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time, necessitating a coalition government to retain national power.

The ANC describes itself as a broad church, accommodating diverse ideological views from free-market supporters to socialists. Its policy focus has historically emphasised state intervention, ranging from the 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme to more recent aspirations of building a developmental state. Despite its long-standing influence, the party has recently grappled with internal controversies, allegations of corruption, and the emergence of breakaway factions like the Economic Freedom Fighters.

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