The ANC has penetrated all the strongholds of its arch-rival, the IFP, the party said on Tuesday.

Buoyed by the number of people who attended rallies held in the so-called Inkatha Freedom Party strongholds, African National Congress leaders said they had dismantled all IFP heartlands.

"People have made a shift from the IFP to the ANC," said ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte ahead of an expected appearance by party president Jacob Zuma at a rally in Ngwelezane township outside Empangeni on Tuesday.

"They have shifted in huge numbers. Our rallies in the so-called IFP strongholds are attended by thousands of people," she said.

She was quick to point out the ANC had not grown because of Zuma's popularity.

"Zuma is not a populist"

"We hear people saying that the ANC support has grown because of Zuma's popularity. That's not true. Zuma is not a populist. People have moved to the ANC because they have seen what the ANC has done," she said.

However snap surveys conducted by Sapa during ANC rallies showed that some people moved to the ANC because they liked Zuma.

Zuma, who had criss-crossed KwaZulu-Natal in the past few weeks was expected to address his last rally in the province at Durban's Phoenix suburb on Tuesday evening.

By 1pm on Tuesday, thousands of people were waiting for him at the rally in Ngwelezane.

ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu said ANC support in KwaZulu-Natal had grown exponentially in the past few years.

"There was a time when we were just fiddling in the periphery.

"The IFP had a massive support by that time... and things have changed."

After addressing a rally in Phoenix, Zuma would return to Johannesburg to prepare for the ANC's final rally in Coca-Cola Park stadium on Sunday.