President Cyril Ramaphosa has for the moment dodged choosing a coalition partner by proposing a 'government of national unity' which conceivably could include parties that have diametrically opposed views on all major policy issues.

South Africans are clear on the coalition they would prefer to rule the country, the first opinion poll on the matter since last week's election shows.

More than 40% surveyed said they would back an ANC-DA coalition, possibly including other members of the Multi-Party Charter such as the IFP and FF+.

Only 19.5% supported an ANC-MK Party coalition, while far fewer -- 9.5% -- supported an ANC-EFF coalition. Just under 6% favoured an ANC minority government.

The poll conducted within a week of the 29 May election which saw ANC support fall to 40.2% was based on telephonic interviews with a sample of 1,000 South Africans, using the same methodology of The Brenthurst Foundation's pre-election polls which have proven accurate.

But President Cyril Ramaphosa has for the moment dodged choosing a coalition partner by proposing a "government of national unity" (GNU) which conceivably could include parties that have diametrically opposed views on all major policy issues.

Ramaphosa said he was making the proposal because, "We are at a moment of fundamental consequence. We must act with speed to safeguard national unity, peace, stability, inclusive economic growth, non-racialism and non-sexism. We will invite political parties to form a government...