Gayton Outplays the DA at Their Own Game

But the Numbers and the Money Still Matter

CCN News

Cape Town: – Gayton McKenzie’s latest message about the by-elections shows how effectively he can shape political momentum.

He presents the PA as a rising force and uses selective results to tell a bigger story, and his style is confident, direct, and emotionally charged. He speaks in a way that reaches ordinary people and makes them feel their support is part of something growing. In this space, he uses the same strategy the DA has used for years, but delivers it with more clarity and more connection.

But the facts show a more balanced picture, In the 2024 national election, the PA received 2.06% of the national votes, and the DA got 21.81%.   In the Western Cape,  the PA reached around 7%, while the DA held just above 50% (55.29% exactly).  These are the real numbers:  the DA remains a major national force, while the PA is small but growing.  The PA’s recent by-election gains are real, and in some wards, impressive, especially in the Western Cape, where Gayton is most prominent.

But they come from a very limited number of wards and cannot be used as proof of a national trend.  The DA has also lost ground in some of those areas but continues to win by-elections in other parts of the country.

Look at these Western Cape by-elections since the 2021 municipal elections (where the PA averaged 4-5% province-wide, with strongholds like Matzikama at 12.52%):

These examples highlight the PA’s tactical wins in specific Coloured and working-class areas (like George and Swartland), where frustration with DA service delivery plays a role. But overall, the DA has won or held more than 70% of Western Cape by-elections since 2021, often with higher turnout.
Where Gayton is clever is in how he frames these selective results, he positions the PA as the main challenger to the DA.  He speaks as if the DA is slipping and the PA is picking up the space they once controlled.  This framing excites his supporters, many voters are frustrated with the DA.  It gives people a simple story: the political order is shifting, and Gayton understands that emotion drives politics, and he uses it to strengthen his movement.

But the question is:  can Gayton match the DA’s political machine? 

The DA’s advantage isn’t just votes, it’s the party’s resources.  The DA has deep pockets, large donors, full-time staff, national offices, polling units, legal teams, media departments, campaign infrastructure, and a war chest running into the hundreds of millions.  This machine allows the DA to campaign nationwide simultaneously.  It gives them organisation, stability, and long-term planning capacity, the kind smaller parties can’t build overnight.
Gayton can’t match that financially, no party outside the ANC and DA can.  The DA’s machinery and money still give it a major national edge.

But Gayton’s strength isn’t money, it’s his message.  With far fewer resources, he speaks with more impact than parties with much bigger budgets.  He frames the story sharply, and he talks in a way that cuts through.  He turns limited data into a clear message, and this is where he outplays the DA.  He uses their own communication model but delivers it with a style that feels real to working-class communities.

The realistic picture:  The PA is rising, and the DA still dominates the national space.  Gayton’s communication is powerful, and the PA has momentum, but the DA’s machine remains stronger.

Gayton wins on message – The DA wins on money, and  “Gayton outplays DA in by-elections… but can he beat their R100m machine?

“PA steals DA wards in WC, but numbers don’t lie”  “Will PA beat DA in 2026?”

 @GaytonMcKenzie @AtElections_DA