Johannesburg - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in South Africa on Thursday morning, the last head of state to arrive for the BRICS Summit.

Putin's £390 million (R6.7 billion) four-engined, wide-bodied, long-haul presidential airliner touched down at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria at around 08h30 in the morning.

This as the 10th BRICS Leaders' Summit continues at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg where heads of states and more than 1 000 business people from Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa are meeting until Friday to discuss trade and investment among their countries.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Picture: Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS

Putin will meet with his BRICS counterparts for a photo opportunity and a closed meeting before going on a retreat to Maropeng, the official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, which will be hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

African News Agency/ANA