South Africans voted at schools, community centres and in large white tents set up in open fields in an election seen as their country’s most important in 30 years. It could put the young democracy in unknown territory. At stake is the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress (ANC) party, which led South Africa out of apartheid’s brutal white minority rule in 1994.

It is now the target of a new generation of discontent in a country of 62 million people – half of whom are estimated to be living in poverty. After casting his vote, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that he had no doubt his ANC would win again with “a firm majority”. The main opposition leader, John Steenhuisen, countered: “For the first time in 30 years, there is now a path to victory for the opposition.

” The election was held on one day and polls closed after 14 hours of voting at more than 23,000 stations across South Africa’s nine provinces. Counting will start but final results are not expected for days. The independent electoral commission that runs the election said they would be announced by Sunday.

Africa’s most advanced economy has some of the world’s deepest socioeconomic problems, including one of the worst unemployment rates at 32%. The lingering inequality, with poverty and joblessness disproportionately affecting the black majority, threatens to unseat the party that promised to end it by bringing down apartheid under the slogan of a better life for all. “I take vo.