Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille said she was pleased with the party's early showing on the boards at the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) results centre in Pretoria on Thursday.

"I was hoping for 15% [gross], but it might be 30% [gross]," said Zille, moving swiftly from the one media interview to the next to discuss Wednesday's poll.

Earlier, she and African National Congress (ANC) general-secretary Gwede Mantashe had greeted each other, as the two worked the floor's media cameras and reporters, who were asking the same question: "How do you feel about the party's performance so far?"

Zille said she was delighted that voters understood the issues in this election.

By 09:30, the DA had garnered 19,03% of the vote nationally.

"Earlier it was 21% and that was very exciting, but you know how it varies," she said.

The DA and the ANC have been conducting a verbal sparring match through the media over the DA's push against the ANC receiving a two-thirds majority so that it cannot make changes to the Constitution.

Mantashe has been repeating that a majority would just be symbolic, with Zille countering that it is already planning Constitutional changes to local governance.

Zille said that Mantashe had asked her earlier if the DA wanted to go into a coalition in the Western Cape.

The DA was showing as the leading party in that province with 51,6% of the votes, followed by the ANC with 28,23%, the Congress of the People (Cope) at 9,06% and the ID at 6,87%.

"I don't know if he was joking but I said 'no thanks'."

Mantashe said it was indeed a joke.