According to the latest declaration published by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year (1 September – 31 December 2025), five political parties collectively declared R35 018 798.82 in donations. That’s more than R35 million in just four months.
And one party alone accounted for the overwhelming majority of that total.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) declared a staggering R31 289 988.26, nearly 90% of all donations declared during the quarter. Of that amount, around R30.1 million was monetary, with R1.1 million in-kind. Two separate R10 million donations came from Fynbos Ekwiteit (Pty) Ltd and Ball Family Trust respectively, alongside a R4.67 million foreign donation from Lawrin Investment Limited based in Jersey, earmarked for training and skills development.
By comparison, the African National Congress (ANC) declared R2 million, received from Chancellor House Trust. ActionSA reported R1 467 000, with the majority of that amount coming from party leader Herman Mashaba, whose cumulative contributions totalled R1 267 000.
Meanwhile, Build One South Africa (BOSA) declared R103 481 in-kind, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) declared R158 329.56 in-kind donations.
Perhaps most telling: this reporting cycle follows an increase in donation thresholds and upper limits under the Political Funding Act. The annual upper limit was doubled from R15 million to R30 million. Yet despite these expanded limits, the concentration of donations remains heavily skewed toward a single party. More than R35 million. In four months. Outside of a national election year. The real question is not whether parties are raising money – but who is able to raise it, and at what scale?
