Harry and Meghan set to touch down in Africa for 10-day tour with baby Archie

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to arrive in South Africa today with their four-month-old son Archie, for their first official trip as a family.

The 10-day tour of Africa will see the royals celebrate the continent's people and culture.

Their travels begin in Cape Town on Monday, where the couple will visit one of the city’s poorest areas to meet with local children and members of the public.

The tour marks baby Archie's first official trip overseas, although he has previously flown to the French Riviera for a private family holiday.

In a post on the Sussex Royal Instagram account, the duke said he "can't wait" to introduce his wife and son to South Africa.

The Sussexes are expected to arrive laden with gifts for the country’s children.

A palace source explained that these are hand-me-downs from the royal baby, who has been “inundated with gifts” since his birth.

The source, who described the four-month-old as an "extra special passenger" said: "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.

"So the duchess decided to bring a number of his presents to hand on to South African children and families most in need.”

Highlights of the tour, coordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will include a visit to another township near Johannesburg where the royal couple will learn about a project tackling rising unemployment.

Later in the week, Prince Harry will travel alone to Malawi, Botswana and Angola, where he will pay tribute to his mother Princess Diana's anti-landmine campaign.

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."

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Duke of Sussex's love for Africa is well known; he first visited the continent at the age of 13 and more than two decades later, the people, culture, wildlife and resilient communities continue to inspire and motivate him every day."

Meghan, who is making her first visit to South Africa, and Harry both admire South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela and have already met members of his family in the UK.

Towards the end of their visit they will be introduced to the statesman's widow Graca Machel, who met the duke when he visited South Africa in 2015.

They will also meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Tshepo Motsepe.