The delegation included Rufus Matbi, director of the International Relations Department at the South African culture ministry, Masana Chikaka, director of the ministry's Cultural Development Department, and Melissa Magaka, Assistant Director of the ministry's Events Department.

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The South African cultural season, which will be held sometime "in the next few months" will host events including book fairs, handicraft exhibitions, and joint workshops between Egyptian and South African performing arts troupes.

It will also feature a business forum that will discuss the role of culture and arts within the framework of implementing the Continental Free Trade agreement, as well as a forum for painting murals.

Minister El-Kilani stressed that Egypt is keen to conduct cultural activities with other African countries, noting that culture is a major focus in most of the agreements and memorandums of understanding that Egypt signs with the countries of the continent.

"The first South African cultural season, to be held in the next few months, will run for 10 days, and it is a new step in building bridges of cooperation with South Africa and a good opportunity to introduce more of the unique and diverse African cultures and arts," El-Kilani said.

For his part, Matbi said that the aim of the South African cultural season is to introduce the Egyptian public to South African arts and heritage through a series of activities that will be prepared in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.

Matbi also expressed his fascination with the greatness of Egypt's civilization, history and heritage, and the archaeological monuments and sites at which the events will take place.

Eman Negm, head of the Foreign Cultural Relations Department at Egypt's culture ministry, said that the forum will blend the rich Egyptian arts with the distinguished South African arts, which will provide an opportunity to open new horizons for cultural cooperation with South Africa.

Negm pointed that the events will be organized in cooperation with the various sectors of the ministry of culture, specifically the Supreme Council of Culture, the Egyptian Opera House, the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, and the Cultural Development Fund.