PRETORIA — South African business leaders will head to New Delhi next week seeking investment partnerships, new export markets and industrial cooperation as the country looks to address a trade deficit with India of approximately US$3.18 billion.
The South African BRICS Business Council (SABBC) is preparing to represent the country’s private-sector interests at BRICS Business Council meetings scheduled for 10–11 September 2026, ahead of the BRICS Summit on 12–13 September.
The engagement comes as South African business seeks to shift its economic relationship with India beyond conventional commodity trade towards investment, technology collaboration, industrial development and greater access to each country’s markets.
According to the SABBC, India accounted for 20.8% of South Africa’s trade with BRICS+ economies in 2025. South African exports to India were dominated by coal, manganese and chemical wood pulp, while imports included petroleum products, vehicles, pharmaceuticals and machinery.
The Council says the resulting trade deficit of approximately US$3.18 billion presents both a challenge and a commercial opportunity.
Rather than approaching the imbalance simply as a matter of increasing export volumes, the South African delegation intends to pursue opportunities capable of expanding the value and sophistication of bilateral economic activity.
Priority sectors include advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, digital services, agro-processing and renewable energy.
Among the opportunities identified by the SABBC is the potential to combine Indian technology and capital with South Africa’s industrial capabilities to strengthen the country’s position as a regional automotive production hub.
The delegation will also seek partnerships in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, structured skills exchanges in information technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and opportunities to introduce more South African agricultural products into India’s large consumer market.
In agro-processing, cooperation could extend beyond selling agricultural products to accessing Indian processing and packaging technologies.
Renewable energy and green hydrogen have also been identified as areas for potential joint ventures as South Africa and India pursue their respective energy transitions.
From Dialogue to Transactions
SABBC Chairperson Busi Mabuza is expected to use the BRICS Business Council Annual General Meeting to argue for a stronger business-led approach to trade, investment and policy advocacy.
The Council’s emphasis is on converting diplomatic and business dialogue into measurable economic transactions.
This includes investment facilitation, business matchmaking and the development of bankable projects in sectors including energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and the digital economy.
South Africa’s business objectives have been framed around six actions: connect, invest, innovate, sustain, partner and lead.
The strategy seeks to connect BRICS economies more closely with African markets while positioning South Africa as a platform through which investment and industrial development can reach the continent.
It also seeks to showcase South African capabilities in areas including fintech, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and renewable energy.
Positioning South Africa as a Gateway to African Markets
A significant element of the South African proposition is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The SABBC views the continental trade framework as an opportunity for BRICS investors to participate in African infrastructure, industrial projects and regional value chains, with South Africa potentially serving as an important investment and production platform.
The Council also points to the BRICS New Development Bank as evidence that the relationship can extend beyond political cooperation into project financing.
According to the statement, the bank has approved more than R6.41 billion in financing for South African infrastructure and sustainable-development projects.
The broader proposition is therefore not simply about selling more South African products to India.
It is about restructuring the commercial relationship so that trade is accompanied by capital formation, technology transfer, industrial cooperation, skills development and participation in regional value chains.
A Commercial Mandate for India
The SABBC is calling on members of the South African delegation to arrive in India with defined commercial objectives and identifiable opportunities capable of being pursued after the meetings conclude.
“India’s next phase of growth requires partners that can offer resource security, African market access, industrial collaboration, and innovation opportunities. South Africa has these advantages,” Mabuza said.
For South Africa, the measure of success will consequently extend beyond the communiqués and declarations emerging from New Delhi.
The more consequential question will be whether engagements between South African and Indian businesses produce investment commitments, export contracts, joint ventures, technology partnerships and projects capable of reaching financial close.
If that happens, the road to India could become more than another stop on the BRICS diplomatic calendar. It could provide an opportunity to begin recalibrating one of South Africa’s most important BRICS trading relationships from a persistent trade imbalance towards a deeper investment and industrial partnership.
