Election results, get the update here

Vote counting is officially underway, as political parties wait with bated breath to see who will rise victorious.

With scores of people queueing up at voting stations on Wednesday, May 8, ready to leave their mark and have their say in the National and Provincial elections, what do the preliminary counts show so far?

According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) website, the figures are slowly rolling in.

Out of the 26 756 649 registered population, the IEC’s website shows only 64.74% of these people voted. There were also a staggering 48 parties on ballot forms, 19 more than the last National and Provincial elections. A figure which has nearly double the number of parties which took part in 1994.

At present, the National Results Operations Centre in Pretoria is gathering and verifying results from across the country.

On Thursday morning, May 9, the figures are standing as such: The ANC is in the lead with 54.92%. The DA is following at 26.18%, with the EFF in third place at a mere 8.19%.

The VF Plus is standing in fourth place at 3.21% and the IFP following in fifth place with 1.59% of the votes.

The final results will be made available on Saturday, May 11.

But who will win the elections and lead the country? Will the ANC clinch the victory? Or will one of the opposition parties claim a surprise win? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.