The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been photographed arriving in South Africa – with baby son Archie wrapped up for the visit.

Harry and Meghan’s son was pictured cradled in his mother’s arms, wearing a bobble hat to keep out the strong Cape Town wind.

The royals jetted to Africa on a British Airways flight that arrived almost 40 minutes late, and were flanked by staff in high visibility jackets, one with the initials VIP on the back, as they disembarked privately ahead of their first appearance in the city this afternoon.

The couple will visit a township where they will see an initiative which teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety, and provides self-defence classes and female empowerment training to young girls.

Royal visit to Africa – Day One
A dancer entertains the crowds waiting for the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Cape Town (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

During the event Meghan, who is a champion of gender equality, is expected to add her voice to the thousands who have spoken out about the rising violence against women in South Africa.

The couple are visiting Africa over 10 days and while the duchess and Archie will stay in South Africa for the duration, the duke will visit Angola, Malawi and Botswana before being reunited with his family in Johannesburg.

Harry and Meghan arrived laden with gifts for the nation’s children from presents originally donated to their son Archie.

They will give clothes, books and other items to an Africa-based charity that trains and employs women living with HIV as community health workers.

View this post on Instagram

Today, we are excited to be able to announce details for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming tour to Africa! 🇿🇦🇧🇼🇦🇴🇲🇼 • In just two weeks, Their Royal Highnesses will embark on this official tour focusing on community, grassroots leadership, women’s and girls’ rights, mental health, HIV/AIDS and the environment. This programme has been many months in the making, and The Duke and Duchess are eager to focus their energies on the great work being done in Southern Africa. From meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu to joining ‘Waves for Change’ on Monwabisi Beach, the South Africa programme will be educational and inspiring. The Duke is especially proud to continue the legacy left by his mother with her work in Angola as he joins Halo Trust again in an effort to rid the world of landmines. HRH will also travel to Malawi where he will check in on the British Army’s partnership with African Parks and will be working on the ground supporting local communities. The Duke is particularly proud to be able to deliver an exciting new initiative, a Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy three-country partnership which he designed and consulted with Governments in Namibia, Botswana and Angola to protect forest and wildlife corridors around the Okavango Delta. The Duchess will be working with local organisations to promote women and girls’ health and education, entrepreneurship and leadership. With such a textured culture and history, Their Royal Highnesses are grateful for the opportunity to connect with those on the ground in Southern Africa and to be inspired by the work being done and learn how they can be better supported. As President and Vice President of The Queens Commonwealth Trust and The Duke’s role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, The Duke and Duchess cannot wait to meet with young leaders mobilising change and adding to the beauty of these Commonwealth countries 🇿🇦🇧🇼🇦🇴🇲🇼 • “We look forward to seeing you soon!” • Photo ©️ PA images / Tim Graham – Getty Images / @Sentebale /@AfricanParksNetwork / @YouthAlert

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on

Royal fans will be hoping to get a glimpse of four-month-old Archie – described by a palace source as “an extra special small passenger to make things a little more lively”.

The source, who said the gifts would be presented to the charity mothers2mothers, added: “The duke and duchess were inundated with gifts for baby Archie from organisations and the general public.

“They were incredibly grateful, but one little baby can only wear so many clothes and he’s growing fast.”

Diana, Princess of Wales in Angola
Diana, Princess of Wales in Angola (PA)

Harry will travel to Angola on Friday to pay homage to the work of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who campaigned for landmines to be outlawed during a visit she made to the country in 1997.

He will also pay tribute to a British soldier killed by an elephant during anti-poaching operations in Malawi when he visits the country on September 30 to focus attention on efforts to protect endangered animals.

A post about the tour on the royal couple’s official Instagram account said: “The duke is especially proud to continue the legacy left by his mother with her work in Angola as he joins Halo Trust again in an effort to rid the world of landmines.”