President Jacob Zuma has described his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez as an "interesting character", while attending an Africa-South America summit in Venezuela's Margarita Island.

"I've known him for quite a while, he is quite an energetic man, quite talkative," Zuma told SABC radio on Monday, in reply to a question on whether Chavez was seeking South African backing in his "campaign against the US ".

"[He] is full of ideas, I think he's very genuine about the people, he believes in the people, that he should deliver to the people.

"He wants to speak ideas all the time and as he finds an opportunity, he makes the point. I think he's an interesting character," said Zuma.

Zuma and a delegation of government ministers are in Venezuela for bilateral talks aimed at strengthening relations between African and Latin-American countries.

Zuma was scheduled to meet Chavez and Chilean President Michele Bachelet and Uruguay President Tabare Vazquest in the two-day summit in Venezuela's Margarita Island.

"These engagements are aimed at strengthening South-South cooperation as well as bilateral relations between South Africa and her Latin American counterparts," the presidency said earlier.

Chavez has accused former US President George W Bush of trying to topple him and more recently said he was certain the US government was still trying to remove him from office.

He has also repeatedly criticised US plans to begin operating out of military bases in neighbouring Colombia.