JOHANNESBURG – With the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) busy tallying ballots across the country, the African National Congress (ANC) has just over half of the votes counted so far.

Results have been coming into the elections hub steadily throughout the night, with the first results having hit the leader board at around 9pm.

Reports as of 6.30am, the Democratic Alliance (DA) was the leading party with 45 percent of the vote and the ANC is on 40,12 percent in Gauteng.

In Tshwane, 288,000 votes have been counted and the DA is in the lead for the moment at 49,03 percent, while the ANC is on 38,83 percent and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 7,72 percent.

In Johannesburg, the DA is in the lead there for the moment as well on 40,99 percent, the ANC on 28,72 percent and the EFF on 9,6 percent, but that’s with just 311,000 votes cast.

In Nelson Mandela Bay there are results coming in at the moment, with 173,000 votes counted.

The DA is on 57,37 percent, the ANC on 33,46 percent and the EFF just under four percent. Those numbers in Nelson Mandela Bay are going to change and could change significantly.

In Ekurhuleni, the DA has about 50 percent with the ANC on approximately 35 percent.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane says it’s too early for coalition talks.

“Once we know what’s on the scoreboard then we can have that conversation. Outside of that, I think it’s important for us to see what the results will look like and to start talking about coalitions now is very premature.”

Analysts are making the point, though, that only a small number of wards have been counted and it is early days yet.

The ANC is, however, nationally, still in the lead.

Meanwhile according to Eyewitness a protest has broken out at the Gauteng IEC Results Centre in Johannesburg.