Authorities don begin count results for South Africa most closely fought election since di African National Congress (ANC) bin come into power 30 years ago.
Di ANC dey lead wit 42%, followed by di DA wit 26% and di EFF wit 8%, while di uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) of former President Jacob Zuma dey on just under 8%.
Dem fit announce di final results for weekend.
Opinion polls dey suggest say ANC fit lose dia majority for parliament for di first time in 30 years, forcing dem to form coalition.
Di ANC don lose support due to anger sake of high levels of corruption, crime and unemployment.
Long lines stretch reach night outside di polling stations across di kontri.
One electoral official for Johannesburg tell BBC say di queues dey remind am about di historic 1994 election, dat election na di first time wey black pipo bin dey allowed to vote, also na di election wey see Nelson Mandela become president.
Thousands of pipo bin still dey wait to vote wen polls bin officially close by 2100 local time (1900 WAT) but di electoral commission say dem go allow dem to cast dia ballots.
Dem don announce di first results, from just ova10% voting districts.
Di ANC don lose support due to anger sake of high levels of corruption, crime and unemployment.
Sifiso Buthelezi, wey vote for Johannesburg Joubert Park – di biggest polling station for South Africa – tell BBC: “Freedom good but we need to tackle corruption.”
Change na constant sentiment, especially among young voters.
Ayanda Hlekwane, one of South Africa “born-free” generation, wey mean say dem born am afta 1994, say even though im get three degrees im still no get job.
“I dey work on my PhD proposal so I fit go back to study in case I no fit get job,” im tell BBC for Durban.
But Oga Hlekwane say im dey optimistic say tins go change.
A record of 70 parties and 11 independents candidates dey contest, South Africans also dey vote for a new parliament and nine provincial legislatures.
Analysts say dis show say many pipo no dey happy wit ANC.
“We dey enta di next phase of our democracy, and e go be a big transition,” political analyst Richard Calland tell BBC.
“We go either become a more competitive and mature democracy, or our politics go dey more fractured.”
Di main opposition party, di Democratic Alliance (DA), bin sign agreement wit 10 oda parties, dem agree to form a coalition goment if dem get enough votes to remove di ANC from power.
But dis dey highly unlikely, di ANC dey expected to remain as di biggest party, dis go put dem in position to lead a coalition if dia support drop below 50%.
Dem bin get 57.5% of di vote for di last election compared to di DA’ 21%.
South Africans no dey vote directly for president. Instead, dem dey vote for members of parliament wey go den go on to elect di president.
So current President Cyril Ramaphosa dey likely to remain for power.
Former President Jacob Zuma bin cause one major shock wen im announce for December say im dey abandon di ANC to campaign for one new party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), wey translate as Spear of di Nation.
Although dem ban am from running for parliament because of im conviction for contempt of court, im name still appear for di ballot paper as MK leader.
Di MK dey expected to do very well for Oga Zuma home province of KwaZulu-Natal, wia tension dey high, during di campaign dem report some incidents of violence.
Police and army dey deployed to polling stations across di kontri to make sure say voting take place peacefully, and also to ensure say stealing of ballot papers no go dey.
More dan 27 million pipo dey registered to cast dia ballots, women make up 55%, according to statistics wey di electoral commission release.
In terms of age group, voter registration high well-well among those wey dey between 30 to 39 years old. Dem make up almost seven million of di 26.7 million voters.
Di youth fit swing dis election to favour dem.
Artist Njabulo Hlophe, 28, say young pipo for South Africa dey marginalised but, “dis na our kontri just like our parents… dem dey leave am to us, so somebody wey really care about di young pipo na di pesin wey me I dey really look at”.
Support for di ANC dey expected to dey higher among di older generation.
One 89-year-old woman, Elayne Dykman, tell BBC for Durban say she hope say young pipo for South Africa no go take dia vote for granted.
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