August 3, 2016 will be the fifth local election since the end of apartheid in South Africa. None of the previous elections were so fiercely contested. South Africa is expected to be heading towards an era of new coalition governments. Against the background of political crises and increasing protests, more than 26 million registered voters are called upon to decide on the composition of their local community representatives and municipal parliaments on August 3rd. The outcome of the elections in the eight South African metropolitan regions is under particular observation: for the first time in South Africa's history, it is expected that the ANC will no longer have its own majority in more than half of the eight metropolitan regions. The coalition governments required in this case present the country with new partisan challenges. On the other hand, a further development of multi-party democracy in South Africa, which is initially to be welcomed, can be expected.