Cyril Ramaphosa has won another five years in office The African National Congress has won the South African election, despite its worst-ever result.
The victory gives President Cyril Ramaphosa another five years in office but the party's poor showing will make it difficult for him to fight rivals.After the ANC was declared the winner, he said: "Let us now work together, black and white, men and women, young and old to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all that live in it."
The radical far-left Economic Freedom Fighters were one of few parties to see gains But many of those men and women punished his party for failures to address corruption, unemployment and racial inequality.
Despite being Africa's most advanced economy, South Africa is one of the world's most unequal societies, according to the World Bank.
The ANC's 57.5% share of the vote was its worst-ever election performance since South Africa's first free election marked the end of white minority rule in 1994.
It will hold 230 of the 400 seats in the country's parliament, which is decided based on a system of proportional representation. This is fewer than the 249 it had going into the election.
ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe said they had improved since the 54% they won in the 2016 local government poll and were "picking up from that disaster".
The main opposition, the liberal Democratic Alliance, also lost seats - going from 89 to 84 - but communications director Mabine Seabe said this was "a positive result", adding: "We've grown in communities we've never grown before."
Gains were seen by the radical far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, however, which moved from 19 seats to 44.
Voter turnout was just 65%, down from the 74% seen five years ago.
International observers said the elections were free and fair, although some of the smaller parties have alleged irregularities.
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