Johannesburg — BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in SA yesterday for a state visit.

On Sunday, SA will officially hand over the keys to Brazil as the next host nation of the Fifa Soccer World Cup to be held in 2014. This event will take place at the closing ceremony of the World Cup, which both Mr Lula da Silva and President Jacob Zuma are expected to attend.

The Brazilian delegation will also use the visit to discuss political, trade and investment issues with SA.

International Relations and Co-operation director-general Ayanda Ntsaluba said yesterday that both presidents would sign a partnership agreement that would intensify relations between the two countries.

"We believe that these relations are strong enough beyond any personality," Dr Ntsaluba said.

Mr Lula da Silva is accompanied by External Relations Minister Celso Amorim, Health Minister Jose TemporÃo and Sport Minister Orlando Silva.

This visit comes after Mr Zuma paid an official visit to Brazil in April. During his visit, Mr Zuma had refused to commit SA to a prisoner exchange programme.

There are conflicting reports about the number of South African inmates in Brazilian prisons.

International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Saul Molobi said Brazil was SA's largest trading partner in South America. Trade between the two countries last year was 1,6bn, and was "skewed in favour of Brazil", he said.

Science and technology, agriculture, rural development, defence and education will be the other areas that will be discussed between the two nations.

Brazil and SA hold ambitions to become permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Both countries, together with India, comprise the trilateral India-Brazil-SA forum which intends to intensify political and economic relations within the bloc.

Mr Lula da Silva will also pay a courtesy call on Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe during his visit.