"There are several agreements that will be signed during this visit, amongst them would be included the New Partnership Framework document for 2011-2013," Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, told reporters.

France has emerged as one of several countries including South Korea whose companies have been courting South Africa as it shops for multi-billion dollar nuclear power plants that could help Africa's largest economy avoid a power crunch.

French nuclear company Areva signed an agreement during Sarkozy's 2008 state visit to South Africa to boost nuclear skills development in the only African country with a nuclear power plant.

Areva in 2007 also submitted a proposal to South African power utility Eskom to build several nuclear plants in a tender process later scrapped due to its steep cost.

"Looking at energy security as one of the agenda points that President Zuma will discuss with President Sarkozy, the answer is yes, but this is not the only issue," Nkoana-Mashabane said.