President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the local government elections will take place on 27 October this year.

"This will be the sixth time under South Africa's democratic dispensation that voters will elect leadership and public representatives at metropolitan, district and local level," the presidency said in a statement.

It said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma would follow the necessary legal process to proclaim the date and undertake other requirements.

"The president urges eligible - and especially first-time voters - to ensure they are registered to participate in the elections, which provide the basis for development and service delivery closest to where citizens live."