What does SA bring to the Brics table in relation to the other nations?

All eyes are on South Africa as the country plays hosts to the Brics Summit from Tuesday to Thursday. 

The summit will be hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. 

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are the founding members.

Brics leaders will engage with business during the Brics Business Forum and with the New Development Bank, Brics Business Council and other mechanisms during the summit. 

South Africa will continue its outreach to leaders from Africa and the Global South and hold a Brics outreach and Brics plus dialogue during the summit.

South Africa's Brics partnership allows the country to bring multiple solutions to the table, including financing, trade, investment, industrialisation, skills development and training, research, development and innovation as well as partnership with African countries and leading countries of the Global South.

The country leverages its membership to address the challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment through increased intra-Brics trade, investment, tourism, capacity building, skills and technology transfers.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa strived to work with all countries for global peace and development.

“It is for this reason South Africa is a member of the non-aligned movement, a forum of 120 countries not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc,” said Ramaphosa.

“Our decision not to align with any one of the global powers does not mean we are neutral on matters of principle and national interest. Our non-aligned position exists alongside our active support for the struggles of the oppressed and marginalised in different parts of the world.

“We have always believed the freedom we won, and the international solidarity from which we benefited, imposes a duty on us is to support the struggles of those who continue to experience colonialism and racial oppression.”