Ramaphosa stated that he had "separate phone calls" with Putin and Zelensky over the weekend, during which he presented an initiative developed by Zambia, Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, Egypt, and South Africa.

"I agreed with both President Putin and President Zelensky to begin planning for meetings with African heads of state," Ramaphosa said.

"We're hoping for intensive discussions," he said at a press conference in Cape Town during Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's state visit.

The initiative has been briefed on by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and welcomed by the African Union (AU), according to Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa did not provide a specific timeline or other details for the visit, only stating that the conflict has been "devastating" and that Africa "is also suffering greatly" as a result of it.

African countries have been severely impacted by rising grain prices and the impact on global trade.

The announcement came a day after Ramaphosa said South Africa was under "extraordinary pressure" to take sides in the conflict, following accusations from the US that Pretoria was supplying weapons to Moscow, a move that would violate the country's stated neutrality.