South Africa's nearly four million orphans stand a better chance of being adopted now that the government has signed an agreement with Australia, according to a report.
The Saturday Star newspaper reported that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the inter-country adoption programme this week.
It would enable Australian families to provide permanent homes for South African children where, for whatever reason, a local family could not be found.
In 2010 South Africa finalised amendments to the Children's Act to fully implement the Hague Convention on the protection of children into domestic law, it quoted the Australian High Commission's Pamela Currie as saying.
In 2012, South Africa allocated an accredited child protection organisation, the Cape Town Child Welfare Society to work with Australia.
"Like South Africans, Australians are a generous and compassionate people and South African children will be well cared for by their adoptive Australian families, said Australian High Commissioner to SA, Graeme Wilson.
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