South Africa's ambassador to France has been found dead at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel, a high-rise tower in Porte Maillot in the west of Paris, newspapers Le Parisien and Le Figaro reported on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Paris Police declined to comment. Calls to the South African Embassy went unanswered. A receptionist at the Hyatt said the hotel would not comment.

The embassy's website says Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel "Nathi" Mthethwa was South Africa's minister of arts and culture from 2014 to 2019, adding sports to his portfolio from 2019 to 2023.

The ambassador had been reported missing by his wife after she received a text message from him that worried her, Le Parisien reported.

A spokesperson at South Africa's foreign affairs department said they were "aware of unfortunate reports pertaining to Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa" and would issue a statement once there was official information.