Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is earning some praise online for travelling with a “lean team” for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Mr Hichilema travelled to the UN meeting on a commercial Qatar Airways flight from the main airport in Lusaka.

He was accompanied by two ministers.

“Just like we promised before taking office, we will ensure prudent management of public resources and have therefore travelled with a lean team that is composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance, Stanley Kakubo and Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane respectively,” he said in a statement before leaving.

“This is a first in the region where [Zimbabwe’s President] Emmerson Mnangagwa and [Malawi’s Lazarus] Chakwera take planes packed with hangers on”, tweeted Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.

Another social media user wrote: "Africa is coming up: Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has left Zambia for the UN General Assembly, New York using a commercial flight".

The Malawian president was in July criticised for taking his family members along on a UK trip but he said that they were needed for the event.