DA Banks R31 Million as Fynbos, Ball Family Trust Top Donor ListJersey-Based Lawrin Invests in Training

The Democratic Alliance has emerged as the clear fundraising leader in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, declaring over R31.2 million in donationsdwarfing contributions to other political parties.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) published the latest political party donation declarations on Monday, covering the period from 1 September to 31 December 2025.

The DA’s Haul

The DA declared R31,289,988.26, comprising approximately R30.1 million in monetary donations (96%) and R1.1 million in-kind support.

Major monetary donors:

• R10 million – Fynbos Ekwiteit (Pty) Ltd

• R10 million – Ball Family Trust

• R4,670,000 – Lawrin Investment Limited (a Jersey-based foreign entity), earmarked for training and skills development

• Around R1 million each – Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Danish Liberal Democracy Programme

In-kind contributions:

• R850,437.96 – Voices of South Africa Foundation NPC

• R322,590.53 – Friedrich Naumann Foundation

The ANC’s Contribution

The African National Congress declared a single R2 million monetary donation from Chancellor House Trust.

However, the submission was made after the reporting deadline. The Commission has issued a section 15 directive regarding the late declaration.

ActionSA’s Numbers

ActionSA declared R1,467,000, all monetary.

• R1,267,000 came from party leader Herman Mashaba

• R200,000 from Lephatsi Investment (Pty) Ltd

Notably, R420,000 of the total relates to late declarationstwo donations received in August 2025 but declared on 31 January 2026. The party has been given 30 days to provide written representations for non-compliance.

Smaller Declarations

Build One South Africa (BOSA) declared a single in-kind donation of R103,481 from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) NPC for a governance and ethics workshop. Although below the R200,000 disclosure threshold, cumulative donations from the same donor exceeded the reporting limit.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) declared an in-kind donation of R158,329.56 from KAS to fund training workshops. As with BOSA, cumulative donations triggered disclosure requirements.

The Total Picture

Across all five parties, a total of R35,018,798.82 was declared for the quarter.

• In-kind contributions accounted for 4.1% (R1,434,839.05) of the total

• R968,810.56 reflects late or cumulative declarations reported during the cycle

The New Rules

The reporting period is the first full quarter under revised Political Funding Act thresholds, which:

• Increased the disclosure threshold from R100,000 to R200,000

• Raised the annual donation cap from R15 million to R30 million

The Bottom Line

The DA’s fundraising machine is in full swing, with major corporate and family trust backing. The ANC’s single donation, while substantial, was filed late. ActionSA relies heavily on its leader’s personal wealth. And foreign foundations continue to play a role in supporting democratic processes through in-kind contributions.

Transparency is the goal, and the IEC’s quarterly reports are the mechanism. For voters, the data offers a rare window into who funds the parties that seek to govern.

{Source: SouthAfrican}

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