Julius Malema, leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has cast his vote after queuing for around three hours at a polling station in his hometown.
Wearing a scarf in the colours of the Palestinian flag, a queuing Malema told reporters in Seshego in Limpopo province that "the ANC will suffer big time - just wait for the results".
Since being expelled from the governing African National Congress(ANC) 12 years ago, Malema built the EFF from scratch and has moulded it into the nation's third-largest party.
"This year’s election is a turning point. Our country will make serious inroads," Malema said on Wednesday.
"The voter will decide the direction of the country... Voters are saying we now here to vote for change and vote for jobs."