South Africa is set to participate in the BRICS summit taking place in Kazan, Russia, from 22 to 24 October, with an agenda to enhance its agricultural exports. A primary aim for the country at this event is to advocate for the reduction and elimination of trade tariffs among BRICS nations, as reported by Pretoria News, a partner of TV BRICS. Thabile Nkunjana, a senior economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, noted the importance of this summit for South Africa to widen its agricultural export markets, including efforts to penetrate Middle Eastern markets like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
China and India, being significant importers of agricultural products, are of special interest to South Africa since these countries demand the very products South Africa supplies. Additionally, South Africa is on the lookout for new agricultural land opportunities to foster job creation in the sector. The recent addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as BRICS members opens new avenues for South African agricultural exports and underscores the necessity for stronger ties with these countries to bolster trade policy and maintain market confidence.
