* It became clear on Saturday night the Liberals would form a majority government after 16 years in opposition. They are expected to win at least 24 seats in the 47-seat parliament.

* Labor is likely to win 18 seats - a respectable result after their lengthy reign.

* SA-BEST leader Nick Xenophon failed to win his own seat of Hartley, with Liberal Vincent Tarzia retaining it for the Liberals.

* Things didn't go much better for SA-BEST in the 35 other seats it contested, where the party polled well below expectations and failed spectacularly in its bid to seize the balance of power.

* Three seats are tipped to go to independents with two others still in doubt, the Labor seat of Mawson and the Liberal seat of Adelaide.

* The Liberals may have been the most successful but their primary vote was 37.4 per cent - well down on the 45 per cent they won in 2014, with most of what was lost going to SA-BEST candidates and flowing back by preferences.

* Labor's primary vote was 33.9 per cent, while SA-BEST's was 13.7 per cent.

* Mr Xenophon's SA-BEST had more success in the Legislative Council, where it is expected to claim two of the 11 seats up for grabs.

* The Liberals are set to take four upper house seats, Labor at least three with two going to SA-BEST, and one each to possibly The Greens and the Australian Conservatives.

Australian Associated Press