The political campaigning ahead of this year's general elections will be "robust and interesting", ANC president Jacob Zuma said in East London on Friday.

"We can expect this campaign to be robust and interesting. We can expect that many different parties will emerge to assert their views and policies," read a copy of a speech he delivered at a gala dinner in East London, ahead of the party's election manifesto launch on Saturday.

The party intended going from house to house, meeting voters to inform them about its plan for the next five years.

"We should not forget the most important point — that this election is fundamentally about the policies and programmes that are most capable of bringing about meaningful change in people's lives."

The most important thing about the upcoming election was that people had to choose a party that had the policies, the commitment, the experience and the capacity to speed up change.

Saturday's manifesto was the product of 15 years of experience and an extensive consultation process.

He said the party had received a "tremendous number" of suggestions from members of the public.

"In hundreds of submissions, South Africans told us about their concerns, their aspirations and the practical steps that can be taken to improve the country."

Zuma promised that many who sent in suggestions would see their contributions reflected in the manifesto.

"We will continue to engage publicly on the issues raised during the preparation of the manifesto... we will also be launching an interactive dialogue across various technological platforms, including the internet and cellphones," he said.

The election manifesto would be the central pillar of the ANC's programme of action in government for the next five years.

Sapa