Theresa May turned her hand to dancefloor diplomacy on the opening day of her Africa trade trip.

The Prime Minister moved from side to side and bobbed up and down as she was greeted at a school by a group of pupils dancing energetically.

Mrs May smiled and laughed throughout and later joined in with a second dance during her visit to the ID Mkize School in Cape Town.

Theresa May trip to Africa
Prime Minister Theresa May dances with students at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

At a packed school assembly, she told the pupils: “Can I thank all those young people who were involved in the performances outside who welcomed me.”

Theresa May trip to Africa
The Prime Minister thanked the students for the warm welcome (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The PM used her visit to the school to announce that the Chevening scholarship would be opened up to 100 more of “Africa’s brightest young people”.

She said: “What I see before me in this hall today is the future of South Africa.”

Theresa May trip to Africa
ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town is twinned with Whitby High School in Yorkshire and the two schools are part of a British Council-funded teacher exchange scheme called Connected Classrooms (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

She added: “I’d like to think that some of you, when you get older, if you’re thinking of going to university that you might think of coming to one of our great universities in the UK.

Theresa May trip to Africa
Prime Minister Theresa May addressed pupils at a packed assembly at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

“We’ve got a programme, it’s called the Chevening scholarship, which helps people to do that and I’m pleased to say today we’re announcing that we’re going to open up scholarships to 100 more of Africa’s brightest young people.”