Present at the centre was Zanele Mbeki, wife of former president Thabo Mbeki, as the number of votes counted inched closer and closer to the number of voters registered.

Actual voter turnout remained unknown.

The count reached the 16 million mark, totalling 16 025 818 shortly before 5pm. The number was registered voters is 23 282 997. This indicated that the IEC was 70 percent of the way through processing the results.

The ANC remained in pole position with 10 479 367 votes (66.29) followed by the Democratic Alliance with 1 184 456 votes (16.21 percent).

Analysts indicated that the contest for the number 2 spot in the 2009 polls would be fiercer than the battle for rule of the country with the entry of the newly formed Congress of the People into the political landscape.

While the party fared well in some provinces, it failed to make good on its assertion that it had severely dented the ANC's grip on the Eastern Cape, by trailing far behind the ruling party's 1 609 926 (69.70 percent) votes with its 307 437 votes (13.31 percent).

It had, however, dislodged the DA's position as chief opposition, with the party receiving 230 187 votes (9.97 percent).

The battle for the Western Cape is all but won by Helen Zille's DA, which received 788 008 votes (50.38 percent).

The ANC is in the second position with 481 998 votes (30.81 percent), followed by Cope's 138 819 votes.

Nationally, the Inkatha Freedom Party was in fourth position with 703 885 votes (4.45 percent), followed by the ID with 146 919 votes (0.093 percent).

Earlier, the ID and the FF Plus were neck and neck on the tally board but the party led by Patricia de Lille had increased its lead, securing her fifth place position for now.

The United Democratic Movement has also overtaken the FF Plus's 138 983 votes (0.88 percent).

The party led by Bantu Holomisa has thus far taken 140 364 votes (0.89 percent).

Meanwhile, the IEC said it would brief the media on the progress of the count at 5pm on Friday.