A team of Cuban medics has arrived in South Africa to help the country limit the spread of coronavirus, South Africa's department of health has tweeted.

The Cuban doctors are to be deployed to different provinces by South Africa's Department of Health, Cuba's ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson has said.

The two countries have close ties as Cuba was instrumental in the fight against white-minority rule in South Africa, which did not end until 1994 when anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was elected president.

South Africa, with more than 4,500 Covid-19 cases, is one of the worst-hit African countries, but it appears to have been successful in slowing the spread of the virus.

Cuban Health Specialists arrive in South Africa to support efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/jxPVIHI0VJ

— Department of Health: COVID-19 (@COVID_19_ZA) April 26, 2020