Thirty-three are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-three wards, while the remaining thirty-two are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifty seats on the council.

A number of ANC councillors were expelled by the party after working with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to elect Johan Mkhatshwa, former mayor and the top-ranked ANC candidate on the proportional list, elected as mayor.

The ANC candidates won both available seats in the August by-elections, although the party received less than 50% of the votes in ward 10.

[7] Nkomazi municipality is home to giant processors of sugar cane the Selati Company and to various coal mines.The municipality has a gate to the country's biggest National park, The Kruger National Park.