South Africa invites leaders from all African countries to BRICS summit

Xinhua | South Africa has invited heads of state of all African countries to the BRICS summit, which is set to be held in August in Johannesburg, a senior government official said.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has decided to invite all African leaders as part of the BRICS outreach so we have extended an invitation to all African leaders to come and have dialogue with BRICS leaders,” South Africa’s lead organizer of the BRICS summit Anil Sooklal has said.

The summit will discuss how the BRICS countries can partner with Africa to help the continent achieve economic growth, Sooklal said, noting that President Ramaphosa will host a dinner for BRICS leaders, which will also be attended by African leaders.

Those who have been invited include leaders from the African Union and regional economic communities as well as business leaders, according to Sooklal.

The BRICS is an acronym for 5 emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2023, taking over from China.