The ANC has reached over 10 million votes, according to the latest results released at the IEC centre in Pretoria.

Applause rang out at the centre as the party leading the race notched up 10 074 911 votes on Friday afternoon.

The African National Congress had secured 66.59 percent of the vote, according to data interpreted by the IEC.

A total of 15 339 164 votes had been counted from Wednesday's elections for which a record 23 181 997 voters had registered. The completed votes tally crept towards the three-quarter mark as the afternoon wore on.

The Democratic Alliance's status as the official opposition remained safe with 2 406 638 votes (15.91 percent). The Congress of the People was a distant third with 1 136 256 votes (7.51 percent).

The Inkatha Freedom Party was fourth with 672 648 votes (4.45 percent), followed by the Independent Democrats with 137 455 votes (0.91 percent).

Nipping at its heel for sixth position was the Freedom Front Plus with 132 546 votes (0.88 percent).

The total number of votes cast was not yet known, but the IEC estimated voter turn-out to be around 77 percent.

Earlier, leaders of smaller parties like the IFP and FFPlus indicated coalitions might be a way to beef up their standing in the legislature, with ID leader Patricia de Lille alluding to some form of merger.