“The government and the people of South Africa convey their deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and wish all the injured a speedy recovery,” the presidency said on Friday.
“The South African Diplomatic Mission in Wellington has been directed to provide consular assistance and support to any South Africans affected” by the event, the president said.
The unnamed suspected killer, who is said to be from neighbouring Australia and has travelled widely around the world, will appear in court on Saturday.
He carried out his macabre acts as Moslem worshippers prayed at two mosques in Christchurch, driving from one mosque to the second to carry out the massacre, according to press reports.