South Africa's ruling ANC set to lose majority in pivotal vote, early results show

• Early indications from 17.54% of polls show the ANC gaining 42.95% of support, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) wresting 25.24% of votes.
• Reuters reported that the country's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research separately predicted that the ANC will gain roughly 42% of the national vote.

South African's governing African National Congress appears set to lose majority control in the country's most seismic political transition since the end of the apartheid.

Early indications from 20.4% of polls show the ANC gaining 43.39% of support, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) wresting 24.83% of votes, and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in tow with 8.83%.

Reuters reported that the country's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research separately predicted that the ANC will gain roughly 42% of the national vote, off projections made when 8.5% of polling stations had recorded results.

Provisional results are still subject to change.

The loss of parliamentary majority would propel the ANC to seek an alliance with one or more parties to govern, stoking uncertainty over the country's political direction.

"The ANC will fall short of the 50% mark, but could still reach 45%. MK is taking votes from the EFF and the ANC. Small parties are making inroads," said Pat Thaker, MENA director at the Economist Intelligence Unit. The MK refers to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party of the country's former president Jacob Zuma.

"Potential smaller-party allies for the ANC are currently on 10.9% in total, suggesting that the ANC could still lead the next government with their support, without relying on the DA, EFF or MK," Thaker added.

The news may impact investors, after the ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela, emblematic of the