The EFF retained its position as official opposition in Limpopo and the North West, while simultaneously beating the Democratic Alliance to second place in Mpumalanga.

South Africa has a parliamentary system of government; the National Assembly consists of 400 members elected by closed list proportional representation.

[13] On 14 March 2019, the Independent Electoral Commission confirmed that 30,532 South African voters abroad applied to be included in the election, of which 29,334 applications were approved.

The ANC is led by Cyril Ramaphosa, who was elected to a five-year term as President of the African National Congress, beating his rival, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, by a narrow margin.

They lost control of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in August 2018, after a vote of no confidence ousted the DA administration.

[24] The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a splinter party of the ANC that was formed in July 2013 by expelled ANC Youth League leader, Julius Malema, taking a strong anti-ANC position within its far-left economic platform, such as calling for the expropriation of land without compensation, and the nationalisation of South Africa's mines and the South African Reserve Bank.

[25] The party contested its first general elections in 2014 and garnered support across South Africa, giving it a total of 25 seats in the National Assembly.

Since 2004, the party's support has increased but has maintained a small presence in parliament by securing no more than four seats in the National Assembly since the 2004 general election.

[34] The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced on 20 March 2019 that a record number of 48 parties had registered candidates for the national parliamentary election.

In the provincial legislature elections, the total number of parties that registered candidates were:[35][36] The electoral code of conduct was signed at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng on 20 March 2019.

At the signing event, a draw was held in which the African Security Congress won the right to appear at the top of the ballot paper.

[54][55][56] On 30 December 2018, former DA Western Cape MPP and special advisor to the Minister of Police Bheki Cele, Lennit Max, announced his resignation from the Democratic Alliance and subsequently joined the ANC.

[63] Former Eastern Cape ANC Transport MEC, Thandiswa Marawu, defected to the African Transformation Movement on 11 March 2019.

[64] On 13 March 2019, it was announced that former Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal, Sizwe Mchunu, and several DA Msunduzi Local Municipality councillors, defected to the African National Congress.

[65][66][67] Former Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Themba Wele, defected to the African Transformation Movement on 15 March 2019.

[70][71] The ANC promised to fight corruption within the government and its own party[70][71] whilst also controversially claiming that it had set up the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.

[72] The DA wanted to impose a standard 15-year jail sentence for anyone caught committing corruption and establish a new anti-corruption unit in the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate politicians and government officials involved in misconduct.

[74][75] The ANC announced that it would be making economic growth and reducing unemployment the party's main campaign issues during the election.

DA Federal Leader Mmusi Maimane advocated for a job in every household, whilst the EFF promised special economic zones to attract foreign investment.

The ANC pledged to strengthen the police force through better training and recruiting more officers whilst also focusing on dealing with gender-based violence.

Rolling electricity blackouts caused by long-running and ongoing problems resulting from mismanagement and corruption at the state utility Eskom was an election issue that the Democratic Alliance campaigned on against the incumbent ANC.

[84][85][86] On 25 March 2019 in the run-up to the election xenophobic riots targeting African immigrants broke out in Durban[87][88] resulting in the deaths of three people and the looting of foreign-owned stores.

[96] The DA made a counter-accusation that it was ANC governance in these areas two years before was the root cause of poor service delivery in Alexandra.

Outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete and former ANC MP Malusi Gigaba declined their seats.

[118][119][120][121] After the elections, it was speculated that the Democratic Alliance (DA) would dismiss its leader, Mmusi Maimane, due to the party's decline in the polls.

[127] Senior Freedom Front Plus member Philip van Staden stated that his party benefited considerably in the election due to the Maimane's positions on race and ethnic identity resulting in the alienation of many white voters.

[128] The Congress of the People (COPE), who had a dismal showing and further declined in this election, was rumoured to be planning a motion of no confidence in its leader, Mosiuoa Lekota, to effectively dismiss him over the party's partnership with controversial AfriForum.

The Union Buildings had been the official venue of the presidential inauguration since the country's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, took the oath of office in 1994.

[144] The restructured cabinet has been reduced from 36 to only 28 ministries and includes former Gauteng Finance MEC Barbara Creecy, Good Party Leader Patricia de Lille and former mayor of Johannesburg Parks Tau.

Notable outgoing ministers included Jeff Radebe, Bathabile Dlamini, Nomaindia Mfeketo and Tokozile Xasa.