In Reuters’ early-morning snapshot, about 12% of votes had been counted: the ANC had roughly 32%, against around 30% for the Democratic Alliance. These percentages describe a specific stage of counting, not the final distribution.
Daily Maverick reports difficulties for the ANC in urban and rural municipalities. National chairperson Gwede Mantashe nevertheless says conclusions are premature, with several areas still outstanding. The formation of councils will depend on complete results and, where needed, agreements between parties.