An angry Helen Zille slammed the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Wednesday evening for running out of ballot papers and boxes and refused to back a call by the African National Congress (ANC) for voting hours to be extended.

"I think the turnout was great but the IEC was pathetic. They ran out of ballot papers, they ran out of ballot boxes," the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and candidate for Premier of the Western Cape said in a telephone interview.

"You don't extend voting hours because you failed to get it right the first time round. It really makes me so angry.

"It will only benefit the ANC because they have queues going round the block."

Earlier, the ANC urged an extension of voting hours in provinces where voter turnout had been especially high.

"The IEC needs to come to the party and extend voting hours to ensure that all South Africans can exercise their democratic right to vote," ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said.