Johannesburg: lady Melania Trump's solo swing through Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt should come as no surprise, reports AFP.

It has become something of a tradition for US first ladies.

In the 1990s, Hillary Clinton met with Nelson Mandela and toured his jail cell on Robben Island. Laura Bush traveled to Africa to visit HIV/AIDS programs.

Michelle Obama, who focused more on domestic issues, still made it out to South Africa and Botswana on a solo tour.

On her first solo trip abroad as first lady, Melania Trump wants to promote her "Be Best" campaign and highlight women's and children's health.

But what differs from her predecessors' tours is that the sunny messaging during Trump's trip to Africa falls at odds with her husband's policies, say public health experts and leaders of nongovernmental organizations.