Pretoria - The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Rosemary, are to undertake an official visit to South Africa at the personal invitation of President Jacob Zuma.
The visit, which will take place from 2 - 6 November, will focus on:
* trade and investment promotion to support Britain's economic recovery; employment opportunities;
* education and practical support for disadvantaged young people;
* sustainability issues in the run-up to the Durban Climate Summit later in November, and
* shared heritage and conservation of traditional livelihoods and wildlife.
While in the country, Their Royal Highnesses will visit the Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg to see the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela. The work of the Department for International Development (DFID) will assume particular prominence given the UK Government's commitment to the development of both countries.
The Prince of Wales will also visit Arabian Gulf countries on 31 October and 1 November and Their Royal Highnesses' will visit Tanzania between 6 and 9 November.
The visit to Tanzania will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Independence. Bilateral ties, including economic cooperation, will also be to the fore in Kuwait and Qatar.
In both Commonwealth countries there will be a strong focus on The World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF's) work to protect endangered species and fragile ecosystems. The Prince of Wales has recently become President of WWF UK.
The Prince of Wales visited South Africa in 1997 when he introduced his son Prince Harry to Southern Africa.
This will be The Duchess of Cornwall's first official visit to Southern Africa, though she has visited privately. The Prince of Wales's last official visit to Tanzania was in March 1984. The Duchess has never visited Tanzania.
