South Africa is on the brink of potentially forming a national coalition government for the first time, as early election results indicate that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is falling short of a majority. With over half of the votes counted across the country's nine provinces, the ANC has garnered just under 42% of the national vote, a significant decrease from the 57.5% it received in the previous national election in 2019.
The final results from Wednesday's election are yet to be officially declared, with the election commission stating that they are expected to be announced by Sunday, if not sooner. The current count from more than 12,000 of the 23,000 polling stations suggests that the ANC may need a coalition partner to form a government and secure President Cyril Ramaphosa's re-election for a second term.
