President Jacob Zuma has made 40 trips to foreign countries since assuming office last year.

Countries visited included those on the continent as well as overseas, the Presidency said in a written reply to a Parliamentary question.

"Host countries paid for 36 visits. The Presidency paid for the remainder, as well as the costs not covered by the 36 host countries.

"The reconciliation for the above mentioned expenditure is not as yet available," it said.

The question was posed by the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus).

The Presidency said that business delegations had accompanied Zuma on a number of these visits.

"Members of the business delegation cover their own costs," it said.

Reacting to the reply on Friday, FF Plus international relations spokesman Corne Mulder said Zuma had made, on average, two trips a month out of the country since assuming office.

"The FF Plus is of the opinion that South Africa is an important role-player in an African and international context.

"The President is, however, running the risk of - as was the case with his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki - also being viewed as an absentee President should he continue to undertake on average two visits abroad every month," he said.