The African National Congress (ANC) has retained Ward 37 in its Dullah Omar region in Nyanga, Cape Town, following a by-election on Wednesday.

ANC candidate Luyanda Nyingwa got 71% of the votes in the ward.

Tulani Pike of the Pan Africanist Congress got the second highest number of votes, 18%, while the Democratic Alliance's Sello Mangwana and Economic Freedom Fighter's Ntsikelelo Vincent Tyandela got 6% each.

The region's spokesperson, Khaya Yozi, said the by-election served as a foundation for the ANC towards the 2019 national government elections.

"The people of Nyanga have shown the confidence they have in the ANC in great numbers. Seventy-one percent is an overwhelming majority which signals the strength of a united ANC under the Dullah Omar leadership. We wish to express our gratitude to the voters and our supporters in Ward 37," he said.

Kate Bapela, spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of South Africa, said the ward was previously led by an ANC councillor and that the position became vacant after the death of the councillor.

Voter turnout for this ward in the 2016 municipal elections was 50.1% and the ANC candidate won with 77.66% of the votes, Bapela said.

Voter turnout for the by-election was 38%.