The African National Congress party has lost its parliamentary majority in a historic election result on Saturday that puts South Africa on a new political path for the first time since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule 30 years ago.

With nearly 99 per cent of votes counted, the once-dominant ANC was well short of the majority it had held since the 1994 vote that ended apartheid and brought it to power under Nelson Mandela.

The final results are still to be formally declared by the independent electoral commission, which were expected by Sunday, but it appeared they might now be called earlier.

Final ballot counts were still taking place from some of the 23,000 polling stations across the country’s nine provinces.

The ANC has dominated South African politics for 30 years since the end of white minority rule in 1994, and at its height commanded 70% of the vote in Africa’s most advanced economy.

It still has the largest share of votes by some way, according to the partial results, but will now have to negotiate a coalition with another party or parties to remain in the government.

That also has repercussions for the future of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a protege of Mr Mandela.

South Africans vote for parties in national elections to decide how many seats each party gets in parliament.