The ANC and the DA each won 11 seats in Wednesday's municipal by-elections, with the newly-formed Cope coming in a close third, according to figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission.

The IEC said on Thursday afternoon that 10 seats went to independent candidates, which Cope has claimed as its members.

The party was unable to contest the polls under its name because it has not yet been registered by the IEC.

Five wards nationwide went to the Independent Democrats and four to the Inkatha Freedom Party.

The IEC said voter turnout varied between 8.45 percent and 59.26 percent, with an average of 26.42 percent.

In the Free State two wards went to the ANC.

In Gauteng, three by-elections took place, one going to the DA and two to the ANC.

In KwaZulu-Natal the ANC and IFP each took four seats.

The ANC won the only seat contested in the Northern Cape.

In the Western Cape, 27 by-elections took place.

Of the eight wards contested in the City of Cape Town two went to the DA and six, the IEC said, to independent candidates.

In the rest of the province, the ANC took three seats, the DA seven, the ID five and Cope independents four.