Former South African President Thabo Mbeki showed he was a visionary of an unexpected sort on Sunday when he revealed a talent for landscape photography, with a particular eye for vibrant sunsets, the moody interaction of sky and water, and the harshness of the Karoo.

The secret came out at the end of a two-day meeting at Lake Pleasant, near George, of his task team on information society, a group that includes the chief executives of several major corporations in the information technology field.

To thank them for making the trip to South Africa, Mbeki presented the delighted visitors with framed enlargements of his photographs, each signed "ThaboM " in the bottom right-hand corner.

"This is the one I wanted," enthused Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who received a view of the Karoo National Park which Mbeki had titled God's Canvas, and which she had admired when it was on display before the presentation.

Coincidentally, she had earlier given Mbeki one of her company's digital cameras and a printer to deliver immediate images.

The other photographs included dramatic rock formations near the Northern Province site of Mapungubwe, and panoramas of the green Drakensberg, and the St Lucia wetlands.

"One of the challenges in the presidency is to manage an artist who imposes all sorts of artistic work on us," joked master of ceremonies Frank Chikane, who is director general in Mbeki's office.

"For those who don't know, the president has a camera..."

"I've now got two," interjected Mbeki.

"He's got two, and finds quite extraordinary moments to capture in his busy schedule."

Chikane told the visitors that theirs were one-off prints.

"The picture that you have is the only picture in the world. No-one has a copy of it."

Mbeki said afterwards that he was not able to do as much photography as he wanted.

"It's only during the end of December, beginning of January, we normally take 10 days - two weeks - and go around the country, places we don't normally see.

"And it's a fascinating country, so much to see."

He said he could not say which was his favourite photograph.

"It would be discrimination against the people are receiving them," he laughed.

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