As Thailand announces its results, South Africa waits for its own poll outcome. On Wednesday, South Africans voted in their parliamentary and provincial elections. These elections are seen as the toughest test for the African National Congress since the end of white minority rule in 1994. CGTN's Yolisa Njamela has more from South Africa's capital Pretoria.

Queues started winding from early this morning. South Africans lined up to vote in parliamentary and provincial elections. According to the Independent Electoral Commission over 26 million people registered to vote in this election. The number one citizen, South Africa's president Cyril Ramphosa cast his vote near his home in Soweto. It was a media scramble as the president arrived at his voting station with onlookers also interested in catching a glimpse of the president.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT "The response of our people to voting is just amazing. The nation and our people are energised to cast their vote and they can see that with their vote, they are heralding a new dawn, a new beginning, a period of renewal and its also a period of hope."

South Africans showed their keenness in having their voices heard.

"We want a government that will do what we want because if we don't vote, we will just be striking whereas today we have a choice."

"We have hope that there is a change that's gonna come and political parties maybe they've listened to the people and the people are crying for jobs."

The governing ANC has won every parliamentary election since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Opinion polls predict it will again win a majority of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.

But analysts predict the party's margin of victory will fall. The IEC says the election day has largely been smooth except for protests in some voting stations. Sporadic incidents have also been reported from around the country.

YOLISA NJAMELA PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA "As the election winds up - all eyes are now focused here at the IEC's National Results centre. Politicians are already trickling in. They want to see for themselves how their parties are faring in this all important election. Yolisa Njamela, Pretoria, South Africa."