"Our logistics team has already started with preparations at an early stage and are well advanced for hosting the summit and its side events," he said in a statement.

South Africa will host the fifth Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Durban on March 27 next year.

Last month, Cabinet agreed on structures to oversee preparations for the summit.

These included the Brics inter-ministerial committee made up of 15 Cabinet ministers and KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize. This committee should provide policy guidance and recommendations to Cabinet to ensure the successful hosting of the event, Ebrahim said.

Brics trade ministers and the Brics business forum would meet the day before the summit.

The Development Bank of SA would host its partners in the Brics inter-bank co-operation mechanism for their annual forum meeting the day before.

"Other events prior to the summit include a meeting of the Brics think tank/academic forum and preparatory meetings of senior officials," Ebrahim said.

South Africa became a member of the Brics forum at its second summit in Brazil in April 2010.