SOUTH AFRICA: Final Results A Day Later Than Usual Due To New Electoral System

With South Africa's parliamentary election now underway (see 'SOUTH AFRICA: South African Voters Head To Polling Stations In Highly Consequential Election', 0736BST), market focus will swiftly turn to when results to the knife-edge ballot are set to be released. Polling stations opened at 0700 local time and are due to close at 2100 (1500ET, 2000BST, 2100CET). 

• The country's Election Commission (IEC) are likely to, in line with previous elections, release partial results as they begin to come through within hours of polling stations closing. In 2019, the election (as is customary) took place on a Wednesday with the final results announced by the IEC on the Saturday. 
• In this election, the IEC has said that final results will come this Sunday, 2 June. The day's delay is likely due to the new electoral system, which sees voters being given two ballot papers for the National Assembly, which will take longer to verify. The first is the 'national ballot', electing one of 200 members in a single nationwide constituency. The second ia a 'regional ballot' electing 200 members across South Africa's nine provinces that includes for the first time independents on the ballot paper. 
• Elections are also taking place for each of South Africa's nine provincial legislatures. The big-tent African National Congress (ANC) currently holds a majority in eight of the nine legislatures, with the Western Cape Provincial Parliament held by the liberal Democratic Alliance (DA).