Over the coming days, political parties will negotiate to form a coalition government. Business leaders have urged politicians to prioritise the 'interests of the entire country over their own parties and personal interests'.

Prominent business leaders have called on politicians to put South Africa first and flesh out a coalition government agreement that paves the way for pro-growth, investment and employment reforms after years of economic regression.

South Africa is on the cusp of a new political era in which a new government will be shaped under a coalition agreement after the ANC and other political parties failed to secure an outright mandate to govern.

In the coming days, the ANC will have to negotiate with smaller political parties the formation of a government after its electoral support fell by 17 percentage points to 40%.

Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the country's biggest business organisation, said voting patterns from the 16.2 million votes cast indicate that South Africans "do not trust any single political party to govern alone". This is why the country has descended into the uncharted territory of coalitions at national government level.

As political parties negotiate to form coalition governments, Coovadia said organised business was urging the "importance of prioritising the interests of the entire country over their own parties and personal interests.

"Our country is once again at a crossroads. One path [if a coalition...