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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new Covid-19 vaccination certificate, which he said would make it easier to travel and access events that require proof of vaccination.

"Streamlining and standardizing proof of vaccination will also go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions both from and into our country eased," he said but gave no timelines of the rollout.

In a televised speech, he said he pressed Britain to relax travel restrictions imposed on his country after discussing the issue with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"We both agreed that decisions of this nature should be informed by science, and we are both hopeful of a positive outcome when the issue comes up for review in the coming days by their scientists."

A Downing Street spokesperson is quoted by AFP news agency as saying the leaders acknowledged the challenges posed by the travel restrictions.

Mr Ramaphosa also eased local pandemic restrictions, including reducing the hours of a nationwide curfew, now in place from midnight to 04:00. He ended a ban on weekend alcohol sales and allowed larger public gatherings.

He said the government aims to administer 250,000 first dose vaccinations every single weekday until mid-December.