South Africa: South Africa Awaits Election Results

Ballot counting is underway after South Africans queued long into the night to vote in a watershed election, reports eNCA.

Counting started in each voting station shortly after the polls closed. In some cities, the counting began long after the planned 9 pm shutdown, with long queues of voters extending into the night.

A total of 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates participated in the election, as South Africans voted for a new parliament and nine provincial legislatures. According to statistics released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), over 27 million people were registered to vote, with women comprising 55% of the electorate.

The final result is not expected to be known before the weekend.