BRICS Manufacturing Group Calls for Shift from Summit Declarations to Industrial Action

JOHANNESBURG — The Chairperson of the BRICS South Africa Business Council Manufacturing Working Group, Tafadzwa Chibanguza, has called on BRICS member states to make manufacturing the defining legacy of the bloc by prioritising investment-ready industrial projects ahead of the 2026 BRICS Summit in India.

In a policy paper titled Brics Must Make Manufacturing Its Defining Legacy, Chibanguza argues that the rapidly evolving global trading environment presents BRICS countries with a rare opportunity to strengthen their industrial capacity and reshape global manufacturing value chains.

He contends that while BRICS has emerged as an influential voice for the Global South, its long-term relevance will depend on its ability to convert political commitments into productive investment and tangible industrial development.
According to the paper, manufacturing projects must move beyond concept stage and be supported by credible feasibility studies, governance frameworks, financial models and risk management mechanisms capable of attracting both development finance institutions and private investors.

The paper identifies the New Development Bank as a strategic institution capable of reducing investment risk through blended finance while mobilising additional private sector capital. It also argues that successful manufacturing investments stimulate broader economic development by strengthening supply chains, encouraging technology transfer, developing skills and creating sustainable employment opportunities.

Highlighting South Africa’s industrial strengths, Chibanguza points to the country’s capabilities in advanced engineering, automotive manufacturing, mining equipment, chemicals, agro-processing and industrial technologies. Combined with its logistics infrastructure, sophisticated financial sector and access to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), these advantages position South Africa as a strategic manufacturing and export platform within BRICS.

Rather than encouraging competition among BRICS economies, the paper advocates complementary industrial ecosystems in which member states leverage their comparative advantages while building stronger regional supply chains.

Looking ahead to the September summit, Chibanguza says the true measure of success should not be the number of declarations issued, but the number of factories commissioned, industrial parks expanded, technologies transferred, exports increased and sustainable jobs created across BRICS economies.