Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will on Thursday roll out the red carpet for his Benin counterpart Boni Yayi, who will be in the country on a state visit.
Political issues affecting the continent, bilateral cooperation and economic relations will feature high on the agenda of discussions between the two Presidents.
Benin, which was formally known as Dahomey, has maintained good relations with Pretoria since 1994.
The two countries signed a general cooperation agreement in October 2003, while an agreement to develop and formulate procedures for military cooperation between South Africa and Benin was signed in June 2008.
The two governments have, among other things, identified agriculture, arts and culture, and justice as areas of cooperation.
Benin is one of the continent's stable democracies, boasting a proliferation of political parties and strong civil society.
However, on the economic side the picture is less bright. Benin is severely underdeveloped and corruption is rife. The economy relies heavily on trade with its eastern neighbour Nigeria.
