President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to travel to New Delhi, India, this weekend to attend the 18th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The summit, taking place from Saturday to Sunday, will be hosted under India’s BRICS chairship and is expected to focus on key economic and geopolitical issues affecting member states and the wider Global South.
Among the main areas of discussion will be trade and investment, financial cooperation, reform of global governance institutions and advancing the interests of developing countries.
The summit comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the war involving Russia and Ukraine expected to form part of the broader discussions.
South Africa is expected to use the gathering to advocate for stronger trade and investment between BRICS countries, while promoting industrialisation and economic growth across the bloc.
Ramaphosa is also expected to highlight the need for increased investment in African infrastructure, particularly projects that support regional integration and are aligned with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The summit will provide South Africa with an opportunity to strengthen its economic partnerships within BRICS while advancing its broader priorities on development, trade and reform of the global financial and governance system.