PRETORIA, 9 September 2026 — President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to New Delhi, India, to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit from 12 to 13 September 2026, as South Africa seeks to deepen trade, investment and economic cooperation within the expanded grouping of emerging economies.
Ramaphosa will attend the summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country holds the BRICS chairship under the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security.”
The gathering will bring together leaders from the expanded BRICS membership to discuss economic cooperation, global governance reform, trade and investment, financial and institutional cooperation, and the interests of the Global South.
BRICS now brings together Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Partner states and invited countries are also expected to participate in the New Delhi deliberations.
The summit takes place amid continuing geopolitical tensions, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as intensifying competition among major powers. These pressures have complicated global economic growth and efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For South Africa, however, economic diplomacy is expected to occupy a significant part of the agenda.
The country intends to use the summit to pursue increased intra-BRICS trade and investment, industrialisation and value addition, while seeking investment for African infrastructure projects that can support implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ramaphosa will also participate in the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue, bringing political leaders and business representatives together to discuss trade and supply chains, agriculture, women-led development, the digital economy and innovation.
South African representatives from the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women’s Business Alliance will participate in the forum as part of efforts to identify investment opportunities and deepen commercial relationships across BRICS markets.
Beyond economics, leaders are expected to consider the challenge of maintaining cohesion within an organisation that has expanded significantly in both membership and geopolitical diversity.
A leaders’ session on “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism” will examine reform of international institutions, while another session involving invited leaders will focus on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”
The summit is expected to conclude with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, setting out the grouping’s collective positions and priorities.
Ramaphosa will be supported at the summit by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi.
For South Africa, the New Delhi gathering presents another opportunity to translate its membership of the expanding BRICS bloc into deeper commercial relationships, investment flows and market opportunities while advancing the country’s broader economic diplomacy and Africa’s integration agenda.
