Following the Wednesday election, the South Africa Independent Electoral Commission, IEC’s results website on Thursday morning reportedly revealed that nearly one out of every five votes counted (18.52%), the ruling Africa National Congress(ANC) is in the lead with 53.89%, trailed by the DA (27.14%), the EFF (7.83%), FF (3.52%) and the IFP (1.59%).

The ANC has received 1,08 million votes, the DA 548,141 and the EFF 158,170.

Recalled in 2014, the ANC won 62.15% of the vote, the DA 22.23%, the EFF 6.35%, FF 0.9% and the IFP 2.4%.

Elections analyst Dawie Scholtz tweeted: “FF making huge inroads. Initial turnout data very strongly favouring the DA. ANC up and down in different places. It all adds up to an interesting result.”

Political analyst Daniel Silke tweeted: “Early trends show just as the EFF is removing populists from the ANC, so is the FF taking conservatives out of the DA. And it’s not a bad thing for either party. Removing the extremes can cement the moderates - if played correctly.”

Silke‏ said the increased FF vote is largely at the expense of the DA from its more rightist flank. “It may well be both land and race issues that play into this voting group,” he added.

Provincially, he predicted that early trends showed the DA would manage to hang on to the Western Cape.

Official North West early results show an ANC majority with 58.7% and the EFF at 15.6%, trailed by the DA at 13%. Mpumalanga, with just over 17% of the votes counted, also shows a strong lead for the ANC at 65%, with the DA and EFF with 14% and 11% respectively.