South African President Proposes Strong BRICS Industry to Expand Global South Autonomy

Source: Brasil 247 | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 11:24:41 UTC

Key Points

• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged BRICS to increase investment in industry, technology, energy, infrastructure and logistics to strengthen the economic autonomy of the Global South.
• He made the remarks at the BRICS Business Forum Leaders Dialogue, held alongside the 18th BRICS Leaders Summit in New Delhi.
• Ramaphosa said developing countries should move beyond being raw-material suppliers and deepen productive links among expanded BRICS members to add more value locally.
• He proposed concentrating investment in manufacturing, raw-material processing, industrial technology, energy systems, infrastructure and logistics networks.
• He said companies operating in BRICS markets should establish production units, transfer industrial capabilities and build local structures to create jobs and technological development.
• Ramaphosa called for a more practical role for the BRICS Business Council, focused on business creation, joint investments and productive projects.
• He said BRICS expansion increases the group's ability to coordinate markets, investments and development projects, but requires converting economic weight into concrete results.