The US government on Wednesday congratulated South Africa on its "transparent and democratic" election.

According to Robert Wood, acting spokesperson for the Bureau of Public Affairs, US observer teams and regional observers agreed the country's fourth democratic election was "transparent and democratic".

"The vibrancy and durability of South African democracy was evidenced by the participation of 26 political parties and a voter turnout of close to 80% of registered voters," Woods said in a statement.

"We commend the voters who demonstrated patience and commitment to the democratic process and we acknowledge the professionalism of the staff of the Independent Electoral Commission in carrying out their duties."

The country, which itself recently emerged from an historic election in which President Barack Obama was placed in the White House, said it looked forward to continued engagement with the government and people of South Africa.