South Africa: South Africa Must Use BRICS Membership to Improve Lives - President Ramaphosa

What the report says

President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa should use its BRICS membership to strengthen economic cooperation, expand trade and investment, and deliver benefits that reach ordinary people. The remarks were published in a weekly newsletter after the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on 14 September 2026, as reported by SAnews and distributed by AllAfrica.

According to the report, Ramaphosa argued that BRICS has become a major platform for a more inclusive global economy and for giving the Global South a stronger voice in international affairs. He said South Africa wants a world order based on mutual respect, shared prosperity and international law, with the United Nations at the centre. The article also notes that BRICS expanded after the 2023 summit in Johannesburg and now includes several additional countries alongside the original five members.

The report says South Africa already trades heavily with BRICS countries and has benefited from development finance through the New Development Bank and access to the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement. Ramaphosa also highlighted practical cooperation in science, education, skills development and people-to-people exchanges, including youth, think-tank and university networks.

During the visit, South Africa also sought to deepen ties with India, its fourth-largest trading partner. The article says business discussions covered sectors such as green industrialisation, critical minerals, infrastructure, agriculture and the digital economy, with both sides seeing opportunities for more investment, local manufacturing and improved connectivity.