South Africa’s ruling African National Congress headed for a sweeping win on Thursday, despite a reinvigorated opposition challenge, and party leader Jacob Zuma was comfortably on course to become the country’s next president.

Early results showed the African National Congress with over 65 per cent, with the Congress of the People party, formed by ANC dissidents, taking 8 per cent of votes counted, dashing hopes that it might pose the first real challenge to the party that has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994.