CAPE TOWN, Aug 22 (Reuter) - South Africa's President Nelson Mandela has succeeded Mahatma Gandhi as a saviour of humanity through his struggle for peaceful change, Tibet's Dalai Lama said on Thursday.

"The next century should be one of dialogue and peace...in the past Mahatma Gandhi was a very good example of this and now you (Nelson Mandela) are a great successor of that person," the religious leader told a news conference after meeting Mandela.

He said millions of people throughout the world admired Mandela for his selfless struggle against apartheid.

"I am one of them and today my dream is fulfilled and I wish that all your hard work can succeed because it will not only benefit people in your country but all humanity," he said.

The two Nobel peace prize winners made no mention of China's occupation of Tibet during a joint news conference. China annexed Tibet in 1950 and the Dalai Lama fled to exile in 1959.

He runs a government-in-exile in the Himalayan Indian town of Dharamsala.

"His Holiness is known throughout the world for his commitment to values to which every decent human being strives for," Mandela said. "He stands for peace, justice and for all the concepts which make life worth living."

The Dalai Lama was in South Africa on a week-long visit until Saturday to deliver lectures on peace.

REUTER