All Article Properties:
{
"access_control": false,
"status": "publish",
"objectType": "Article",
"id": "2690431",
"signature": "Article:2690431",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-24-zelensky-touches-down-at-lanseria-on-the-first-visit-to-sa-by-a-ukrainian-head-of-state/",
"shorturl": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2690431",
"slug": "zelensky-touches-down-at-lanseria-on-the-first-visit-to-sa-by-a-ukrainian-head-of-state",
"contentType": {
"id": "1",
"name": "Article",
"slug": "article"
},
"views": 0,
"comments": 1,
"preview_limit": null,
"excludedFromGoogleSearchEngine": 0,
"title": "Zelensky touches down at Lanseria on the first visit to SA by a Ukrainian head of state",
"firstPublished": "2025-04-24 09:28:30",
"lastUpdate": "2025-04-24 09:28:40",
"categories": [
{
"id": "22",
"name": "Politics",
"signature": "Category:22",
"slug": "politics",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/politics/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "29",
"name": "South Africa",
"signature": "Category:29",
"slug": "south-africa",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/south-africa/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "38",
"name": "World",
"signature": "Category:38",
"slug": "world",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/world/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "368744",
"name": "Ukraine Crisis",
"signature": "Category:368744",
"slug": "ukraine-crisis",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/ukraine-crisis/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "387188",
"name": "Maverick News",
"signature": "Category:387188",
"slug": "maverick-news",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/maverick-news/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
}
],
"content_length": 3202,
"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in South Africa early on Thursday, 24 April for official talks with President Cyrl Ramaphosa later in the day in Pretoria.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky and his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, arrived at Lanseria Airport outside Johannesburg in the dark. He was greeted by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and other officials as well as Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A military guard lined the red carpet as Zelensky stepped onto South African soil for the first time. It is also his first visit as president to Africa. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky was scheduled to arrive at the Union Buildings in Pretoria at 11am for his official meeting with Ramaphosa. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/war-in-ukraine/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">War in Ukraine</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said this first visit by a Ukrainian head of state to South Africa “follows on the visit to Ukraine by President Ramaphosa, as part of the Africa Peace Initiative to Ukraine on 16 June 2023”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The visit provides South Africa and Ukraine with an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, agriculture and education. It will also explore areas of cooperation with the objective to support efforts to bring lasting peace.”</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-22-ramaphosa-and-putin-discuss-war-in-phone-call-ahead-of-zelenskys-visit-to-sa/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa and Putin discuss war in phone call ahead of Zelensky’s visit to SA</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is understood that South African agricultural organisations are keen to make deals to import Ukrainian agricultural produce including wheat and fertiliser. Other areas of cooperation might include digital governance.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2690335\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1475\" /> <em>President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrive in South Africa on 24 April 2025. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2690334\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Zelensky\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1564\" /> <em>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from the African Peace Initiative which Dirco referred to, South Africa has been participating in Zelensky’s own international peace formula talks and also agreed in 2024 to contribute to negotiations for the return of Ukrainian children abducted and deported to Russia during Russia’s occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky arrives in South Africa at a moment when US President Donald Trump is putting pressure on him to accept a peace deal with Russia that would require Ukraine to give up the large swathes of its territory occupied by Russia and to abandon its ambitions to join Nato. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-21-zelensky-to-visit-sa-while-us-squeezes-him-to-make-concessions-to-russia/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky to visit SA while US squeezes him to make concessions to Russia</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky rejected the US plan flatly.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There is nothing to talk about,” Zelensky said. “This violated our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of Ukraine.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trump retorted on social media that the Ukrainian president was being “inflammatory” and said he would only “prolong the ‘killing field”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa and Zelensky will have a joint press conference after their meeting on Thursday morning. Zelensky is then expected to meet members of the Ukrainian community in South Africa and will brief South African and African journalists this afternoon. </span><b>DM</b>",
"teaser": "Zelensky touches down at Lanseria on the first visit to SA by a Ukrainian head of state",
"externalUrl": "",
"sponsor": null,
"authors": [
{
"id": "489",
"name": "Peter Fabricius",
"image": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peter-Fabricius.png",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/author/peterfabricius/",
"editorialName": "peterfabricius",
"department": "",
"name_latin": ""
}
],
"description": "",
"keywords": [
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "2083",
"name": "South Africa",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/south-africa/",
"slug": "south-africa",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "South Africa",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "2745",
"name": "Cyril Ramaphosa",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/cyril-ramaphosa/",
"slug": "cyril-ramaphosa",
"description": "Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is the fifth and current president of South Africa, in office since 2018. He is also the president of the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa. Ramaphosa is a former trade union leader, businessman, and anti-apartheid activist.\r\n\r\nCyril Ramaphosa was born in Soweto, South Africa, in 1952. He studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand and worked as a trade union lawyer in the 1970s and 1980s. He was one of the founders of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and served as its general secretary from 1982 to 1991.\r\n\r\nRamaphosa was a leading figure in the negotiations that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. He was a member of the ANC's negotiating team, and played a key role in drafting the country's new constitution. After the first democratic elections in 1994, Ramaphosa was appointed as the country's first trade and industry minister.\r\n\r\nIn 1996, Ramaphosa left government to pursue a career in business. He founded the Shanduka Group, a diversified investment company, and served as its chairman until 2012. Ramaphosa was also a non-executive director of several major South African companies, including Standard Bank and MTN.\r\n\r\nIn 2012, Ramaphosa returned to politics and was elected as deputy president of the ANC. He was elected president of the ANC in 2017, and became president of South Africa in 2018.\r\n\r\nCyril Ramaphosa is a popular figure in South Africa. He is seen as a moderate and pragmatic leader who is committed to improving the lives of all South Africans. He has pledged to address the country's high levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality. He has also promised to fight corruption and to restore trust in the government.\r\n\r\nRamaphosa faces a number of challenges as president of South Africa. The country is still recovering from the legacy of apartheid, and there are deep divisions along racial, economic, and political lines. The economy is also struggling, and unemployment is high. Ramaphosa will need to find a way to unite the country and to address its economic challenges if he is to be successful as president.",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Cyril Ramaphosa",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "4103",
"name": "Pretoria",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/pretoria/",
"slug": "pretoria",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Pretoria",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "5966",
"name": "Russia",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/russia/",
"slug": "russia",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Russia",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "6976",
"name": "Trump",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/trump/",
"slug": "trump",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Trump",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "11695",
"name": "PETER FABRICIUS",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/peter-fabricius/",
"slug": "peter-fabricius",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "PETER FABRICIUS",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "12331",
"name": "Ukraine",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/ukraine/",
"slug": "ukraine",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Ukraine",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "15516",
"name": "War",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/war/",
"slug": "war",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "War",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "71958",
"name": "conflict",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/conflict/",
"slug": "conflict",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "conflict",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "185325",
"name": "Volodymyr Zelensky",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/volodymyr-zelensky/",
"slug": "volodymyr-zelensky",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Volodymyr Zelensky",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "368732",
"name": "War in Europe",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/war-in-europe/",
"slug": "war-in-europe",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "War in Europe",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "433012",
"name": "visit",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/visit/",
"slug": "visit",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "visit",
"translations": null
}
}
],
"short_summary": null,
"source": null,
"related": [],
"options": [],
"attachments": [
{
"id": "24339",
"name": "President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine arrives in South Africa on an official visit,he is welcomed by Ronald Lamola\nMinister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo DIRCO)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in South Africa early on Thursday, 24 April for official talks with President Cyrl Ramaphosa later in the day in Pretoria.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky and his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, arrived at Lanseria Airport outside Johannesburg in the dark. He was greeted by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and other officials as well as Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A military guard lined the red carpet as Zelensky stepped onto South African soil for the first time. It is also his first visit as president to Africa. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky was scheduled to arrive at the Union Buildings in Pretoria at 11am for his official meeting with Ramaphosa. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/war-in-ukraine/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">War in Ukraine</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said this first visit by a Ukrainian head of state to South Africa “follows on the visit to Ukraine by President Ramaphosa, as part of the Africa Peace Initiative to Ukraine on 16 June 2023”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The visit provides South Africa and Ukraine with an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, agriculture and education. It will also explore areas of cooperation with the objective to support efforts to bring lasting peace.”</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-22-ramaphosa-and-putin-discuss-war-in-phone-call-ahead-of-zelenskys-visit-to-sa/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa and Putin discuss war in phone call ahead of Zelensky’s visit to SA</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is understood that South African agricultural organisations are keen to make deals to import Ukrainian agricultural produce including wheat and fertiliser. Other areas of cooperation might include digital governance.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2690335\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2690335\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1475\" /> <em>President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrive in South Africa on 24 April 2025. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2690334\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2690334\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Zelensky\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1564\" /> <em>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from the African Peace Initiative which Dirco referred to, South Africa has been participating in Zelensky’s own international peace formula talks and also agreed in 2024 to contribute to negotiations for the return of Ukrainian children abducted and deported to Russia during Russia’s occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky arrives in South Africa at a moment when US President Donald Trump is putting pressure on him to accept a peace deal with Russia that would require Ukraine to give up the large swathes of its territory occupied by Russia and to abandon its ambitions to join Nato. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-21-zelensky-to-visit-sa-while-us-squeezes-him-to-make-concessions-to-russia/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky to visit SA while US squeezes him to make concessions to Russia</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zelensky rejected the US plan flatly.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There is nothing to talk about,” Zelensky said. “This violated our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of Ukraine.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trump retorted on social media that the Ukrainian president was being “inflammatory” and said he would only “prolong the ‘killing field”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa and Zelensky will have a joint press conference after their meeting on Thursday morning. Zelensky is then expected to meet members of the Ukrainian community in South Africa and will brief South African and African journalists this afternoon. </span><b>DM</b>",
"focal": "50% 50%",
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"transforms": [
{
"x": "200",
"y": "100",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/dKYK4NNQ8ONK09VsDrdkGeM_oLg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "450",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/8JDOUxvr7xNp4pa7gvUoGM5ME1M=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "800",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/shQ14W-DrwaE-1nUbmiQ73MIdJk=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1200",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/xyYhmZmNPttqwc9QqM9Q4TxZNGc=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1600",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/X2pkWp2RCjYWHDLwdH0QVD0s5MQ=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg"
}
],
"url_thumbnail": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/dKYK4NNQ8ONK09VsDrdkGeM_oLg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"url_medium": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/8JDOUxvr7xNp4pa7gvUoGM5ME1M=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"url_large": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/shQ14W-DrwaE-1nUbmiQ73MIdJk=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"url_xl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/xyYhmZmNPttqwc9QqM9Q4TxZNGc=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"url_xxl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/X2pkWp2RCjYWHDLwdH0QVD0s5MQ=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zelenskyy1.jpg",
"type": "image"
}
],
"summary": "He will meet President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday in Pretoria for official talks.",
"template_type": null,
"dm_custom_section_label": null,
"elements": [],
"seo": {
"search_title": "Zelensky touches down at Lanseria on the first visit to SA by a Ukrainian head of state",
"search_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in South Africa early on Thursday, 24 April for official talks with President Cyrl Ramaphosa later in the day in Pretoria",
"social_title": "Zelensky touches down at Lanseria on the first visit to SA by a Ukrainian head of state",
"social_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in South Africa early on Thursday, 24 April for official talks with President Cyrl Ramaphosa later in the day in Pretoria",
"social_image": ""
},
"cached": true,
"access_allowed": true
} 
President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrive in South Africa on 24 April 2025. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. (Photo: Jacoline Prinsloo / Dirco)