ActionSA (ActionSA)

Founded: 2020.

ActionSA is a South African political party founded in August 2020 by former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba. Its 2024 national and provincial manifesto sets out nine priority areas covering economic growth and inclusion, energy, education, law and order, immigration, water and environment, social support and implementation; its 2026 local government manifesto focuses on municipal service delivery, financial discipline, professional administration and anti-corruption. The party states its guiding principles as non-racialism, economic prosperity, social justice, respect for the rule of law, quality education and ethical leadership.

Official website: https://www.actionsa.org.za/

Not yet reviewed by a human. These positions were placed by reading the sources below; each one links to the document it came from.

14 of 15 axes have a cited position. Axes without a published position are marked as such and are never scored.

Positions

Economy: state or market — +1.50

State-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.Market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

Leaning towards: market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

We support a competitive, market-based economy with minimal government interference, in which entrepreneurs and the private sector are treated as valued and trusted partners.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , Our values and guiding principles: Economic Prosperity (PDF p. 18) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Land reform and expropriation — +1.75

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Land reform is an essential aspect of addressing the legacy of our past and must be accelerated. However, land reform must happen in a responsible manner that protects property rights and investors’ confidence. We oppose the amendment of the Constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation.

Land Reform and Housing , What We Believe (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

BEE and race-based redress — +1.00

Race-based redress expanded: BEE, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.Race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

Leaning towards: race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

Repeal and replace B-BBEE and reform affirmative action policies in favour of growth-driven policies that lead to proper diversification of the economy.

Economic Prosperity , To achieve labour law reform, we will (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Labour market — +1.50

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.Flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

Leaning towards: flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

We will make it easier for employers to hire new staff members by reforming the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997 to reduce employers’ burden regarding the dismissal of non-performing employees.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , Economic growth that creates employment opportunities: Labour reforms (PDF p. 25) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Healthcare and NHI — +0.75

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.Private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Leaning towards: private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Oppose the nationalisation of healthcare and maintain the right of individuals to make decisions regarding their choice of healthcare provider.

Social Justice , Advancing healthcare and disability rights (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Education — -0.50

State-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.Parental choice: independent schools, charter-type models and market mechanisms in education.

Between the two poles

We will implement a sustainable tertiary education funding model that provides appropriate funding for students, including free and subsidised education.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , Quality education for all: Expanding access to tertiary education (PDF p. 44) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Crime and policing — -1.75

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.Prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.

An ActionSA-led government will increase penalties for violent crimes to deter future acts of violence in our society.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , Establishing law and order: Deter violent crime (PDF p. 48) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Immigration — -1.50

Restrictive: tighter borders, limits on foreign nationals, deportation of undocumented migrants.Open: freer movement, rights for migrants, and regional integration.

Restrictive: tighter borders, limits on foreign nationals, deportation of undocumented migrants.

South Africa’s existing immigration policies and porous borders have created an environment where it is generally easier for foreign nationals to illegally cross our borders than it is to enter the country legally.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , An effective approach to legal immigration (PDF p. 55) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Energy and climate — +0.25

Rapid decarbonisation: coal phase-out, renewable generation and climate commitments prioritised.Energy security first: continued coal, gas or nuclear generation and a slower transition.

Between the two poles

We will implement the gradual transition from relying on fossil fuels to using more renewable energy sources for electricity generation. We are committed to promoting environmental sustainability and economic justice in our transition to renewable energy and we will carefully consider the impact of renewable energy generation on the economy and mining communities.

ActionSA 2024 Election Manifesto , A sustainable energy system: Energy Future and the Just Transition (PDF p. 38) (manifesto, 2024-03-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Federalism and devolution — +1.00

Centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.Devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

Leaning towards: devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

We are in support of further devolution of government powers by delegating more powers to local governments, assisted by a national government working towards shared national prosperity.

Professional Public Service , What We Believe (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Traditional leadership — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Social values — +0.25

Conservative: law reflects religious or traditional morality, with narrower reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.Liberal: secular law, with expanded gender, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

Between the two poles

Decriminalise sex-work, while maintaining the solicitation of prostitution as an illegal act.

Rule of Law , Our Solutions Blueprint (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Foreign policy — +1.00

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.Western-aligned: closer ties with the United States, the European Union and other liberal democracies.

Leaning towards: western-aligned: closer ties with the united states, the european union and other liberal democracies.

The refusal to denounce this war places South Africa on the wrong side of history together with a list of countries known for their human rights violations and disdain for democratic and free-market principles, including China, Cuba, and North Korea.

ActionSA condemns the ANC government’s disgraceful stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine , Statement by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President (party_document, 2022-03-03; accessed 2026-10-18)

Anti-corruption and governance — -1.50

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.Smaller state machinery: fewer new bodies and regulations, with corruption handled through existing criminal law and the courts.

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.

Municipalities must have access to credible and appropriately independent forensic capacity to investigate allegations of fraud, corruption and serious financial misconduct.

ActionSA 2026 Local Government Election Manifesto , A government without corruption: Finding corruption wherever it occurs (PDF p. 36) (manifesto, 2026-09-26; accessed 2026-10-18)

Local service delivery — +1.00

Centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.Municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Leaning towards: municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Enable local government, as the level of government closest to the people, to perform more service delivery functions independently.

Professional Public Service , To bolster the capacity of local government (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)