Vote counting in the National and Provincial Elections 2024 has now been completed, and the process to capture and validate results is underway.

This is according to the Electoral Commission's Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo.

Mamabolo was briefing media at the IEC's National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

"For all intents and purposes, counting procedures have been concluded, with only a few voting stations reported to still be counting at 3pm. The process of results compilation entails ensuring accuracy and validation of the results.

"This process involves scanning each result slip to create an image of the result, double blind capture of each result slip, and auditing of each result slip by independent auditors. The result system was audited externally and parties had occasion to also audit," Mamabolo said.

Mamabolo said by 4pm on Thursday, results had been concluded for some 22.6% of the voting districts - representing at least 2.3 million votes cast.

The rate of the results captured is as follows:

• Gauteng has captured 28%;
• Limpopo 26%;
• North West 36%;
• Northern Cape 63%;
• Free State 56%;
• KwaZulu-Natal 23%;
• Mpumalanga 42%;
• Eastern Cape 58%, and
• Western Cape 57%.

"A result is considered complete only when a result slip has been scanned into an image, captured onto the results system, audited by independent auditors and has gone through the automated Results System exception parameters," Mamabolo explained.

Every vote counts

Mamabolo revealed that the last ballot to be cast on Election Day was cast in Tshwane, Gauteng, with the first results coming from the Eastern Cape.

"True to its undertaking, the Commission assisted all voters that were in the queue by 21h00. Just after midnight, the Commission announced the first result. This was in a voting district in the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality in the Eastern Cape," he said.

The CEO thanked the millions of South Africans who braved long queues at voting stations and other challenges to make their mark in these elections.

"The Electoral Commission thanks the real heroes of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. They are South Africans who stood in the queues and electoral staff who worked tirelessly to process the votes.

"The commitment and patience shown by the voters and electoral staff demonstrates their commitment to our electoral democracy," Mamabolo said.