Ruling African National Congress (ANC) has swept the general elections in South Africa, even as it failed to retain its two-thirds majority in the 400-member parliament, according to the final tally.

The final results late on Saturday showed that there was a 77,3 percent turn out of the 23-million registered voters on Wednesday and the Jacob Zuma-led ANC emerged as the overwhelming winner securing nearly 65 per cent of the votes.

It won 264 seats while the opposition Democratic Alliance(DA) won 16 per cent (67 seats).

The recently formed breakaway faction of ANC, Congress of the People (COPE) of Zuma's rival ex-president Thabo Mbeki's supporters could muster eight per cent of the vote (30 seats) and the Inkatha Freedom Party managed 18 seats.

The ANC also won eight of the nine provinces, with increased percentage in the KwaZulu-Natal province which at one time was the strong-hold of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

The only province it lost was the Western Cape where the opposition DA emerged victorious.

The Parliament elects South Africa's president by a simple majority, putting the controversial but hugely popular Zuma in line for the post when the new assembly votes in May.