At stake in Wednesday's election is the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress party, which led South Africa out of apartheid's brutal white minority rule in 1994.
It is now the target of a new generation of discontent in a country of 62 million people — half of whom are estimated to be living in poverty.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) and close at 9:00 pm, with 27 million registered voters called to elect a new parliament, which then chooses a president.
"South Africa's general election is a watershed moment in the political history of the country," said Aleix Montana, an analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
ANC's fate uncertain
Africa’s most advanced economy has some of the world’s deepest soci0-economic problems, including one of the worst unemployment rates at 32%.
The lingering inequality, with poverty and joblessness disproportionately affecting the Black majority, threatens to unseat the party.
After winning six successive national elections, several polls have the ANC’s support at less than 50% ahead of this one, an unprecedented drop.
It might lose its majority in Parliament for the first time, although it’s widely expected to hold the most seats.
Support has been fading. The ANC won 57.5% of the vote in the last national election in 2019, its worst result to date.
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