Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, is making his first trip to South Africa since the invasion of Ukraine 11 months ago, which Pretoria has refused to denounce.
Despite being rejected by the West, Russia has historical ties to Pretoria and strong business relations thanks to the Brics group of developing nations.
In Pretoria, Mr. Lavrov is scheduled to meet with Naledi Pandor, his South African counterpart.
Anti-Russian protesters are scheduled to gather outside the meeting location.
Operation Mosi, a multinational naval exercise with China and Russia, is scheduled for next month in South Africa.
