The African National Congress (ANC) party has lost its majority for the first time in 30 years of full democracy, in the South African general election.
The ANC famously led the fight to free South Africa from apartheid. High unemployment, power cuts, violent crime and crumbling infrastructure are said to have led to a loss of support for the former liberation movement.
The ANC also lost its majority in three provinces: Northern Cape; Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal, where MK was the largest party.
South Africa’s current president, 71-year-old Cyril Ramaphosa, has indicated he will not resign after the ANC’s defeat.
"What this election has made plain is that the people of South Africa expect their leaders to work together to meet their needs," he said.
He added that after 30 years, South Africans should be grateful their democracy worked: "We must respect their choices and their wishes."
What were the final vote numbers?
The ANC won 159 seats on a vote share of just over 40%.
The full results are as follows:
Here are the top parties:
ANC - 159 seats
DA - 87 seats
MK - 58 seats
EFF - 39 seats
IFP - 17 seats
PA - 9 seats
The remainder of the seats went to smaller parties.
Will there be a new president?
South Africans do not directly elect the president. They elect the members of the National Assembly, who then elect the president by a simple majority.
201 or more votes are needed to determine the presidency.
Now that the results have been announced, certain steps must be followed for South Africa to form a government. They include:
The allocation of seats
The first sitting of the National Assembly
The election of the president
The formation of government
