Voting has begun in South Africa in an election that might see the ANC lose its majority

Voting in the election, which began on Wednesday, might result in a significant political change if the ruling African National Congress party loses the majority, as predicted by surveys.

Nine provincial legislatures and a new national parliament will be chosen by voters, and this parliament will subsequently select the nation’s next president.

The ANC will have to look for one or more coalition partners to rule the nation if it receives less than 50% of the national vote. This will be the first coalition the party has formed in the thirty years since it was led by Nelson Mandela and surged to power at the end of apartheid.

Out of the approximately 62 million individuals in the population, over 27 million are registered to vote. Voting locations opened at 0500 GMT and will close at 1900 GMT.

Within hours of polling places closing, the election commission of South Africa is anticipated to begin disclosing preliminary results. The commission has seven days to make the results official.