"It's a huge, huge task ahead but I'm really grateful," said Alan Winde, premier-elect of the Western Cape.
"It's disappointing but not devastating," said Ebrahim Rasool, the ANC's election head in the province.
Melikhaya Xego, the EFF's provincial chair, said his party was happy with the outcome.
"It has shown growth in the organisation ... in particular with young people," he said.