President Michael D Higgins has welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Áras an Uachtaráin for what is understood to be the last visit by a head of state before his term ends next month.
A private meeting was held between the two heads of state this morning, followed by a bilateral meeting between the two delegations.
President Higgins and his wife Sabina warmly greeted the president, who wrote a long message in the visitors' book.
Mr Ramaphosa joked that he had written an essay.
In the message, President Ramaphosa said he was "delighted to visit Ireland, a country I call home away from home".
He wrote of his involvement in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and thanked the people of Ireland "for the support they gave South Africa during our struggle against apartheid".
After the meetings, the presidents sat down to lunch with a number of guests involved in the anti-apartheid movement.
Included were former Dunnes Stores workers who refused to handle grapefruit from South Africa in 1984, drawing international attention.
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, KC, who advised South Africa in its case against Israel at the ICJ was also in attendance, as was former Minister Joan Burton, who was a founding member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid movement.
In his speech, President Ramaphosa paid tribute to the Dunnes Stores workers and those involved in their initiative "helping the people of Palestine".
He paid tribute to President Higgins, and said he looked forward to learning Irish from him in his retirement.
President Higgins spoke of the ties between Ireland and South Africa and the "shared commitment to freedom and justice".
