Former international relations minister Ebrahim Ebrahim has been awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the King of Spain Felipe VI, the presidency said on Monday.
"His Majesty the King of Spain has given this honour to a highly deserving freedom fighter who sacrificed a lot for freedom, peace, justice and human rights," President Jacob Zuma said.
"We congratulate Mr Ebrahim for this rare honour which he has described correctly as an honour for all the people of South Africa who made history by putting the past behind them to build a new society together."
The order, which is at the rank of Knight Commander, is one of the highest honours given by the King to Spanish nationals or foreign citizens deemed to have made an extraordinary contribution.
Zuma said Ebrahim had been honoured not only for his contribution to the South African struggle, but for strengthening South African-Spanish relations as well.