There are 46 parties contesting the national elections, with 36 bidding for votes in the economic hub of Gauteng.

The Electoral Commission said this on Wednesday at the signing of a code of conduct by the political parties contesting the May 8 poll. Special votes will take place on May 6 and 7.

The fewest parties contesting the elections are in the Northern Cape - just 21.

The commission's chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo, told the Johannesburg event that 50-million ballot papers using 40 tons of paper will be printed.

There will be more than 220,000 ballot boxes, with 122,000 voting compartments and 56,000 stationery packs.

Work has already started on building the result centres, said Mamabolo.

A total of 220,000 election officials will conduct the voting and counting.

Mamabolo said the electoral authority had trained 1,000 individuals to deal with conflict to prevent, manage and mitigate rivalry at grass roots level.

The organisation "has done its bit. Now it’s up to political parties to take up the baton," he said.

"We dare not fail South Africa."