President Cyril Ramaphosa will this evening, 20 August 2023, address the nation on South Africa’s Foreign Policy and the upcoming BRICS Summit.

The SABC will provide feed to all media and PresidencyZA will also live stream the proceedings.

The address is scheduled to take place at 20h00.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

Members of the media who have applied (and have received confirmation that they are accredited) for the XV BRICS Summit are encouraged to collect their accreditation cards at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton from Saturday, 19 August 2023.

The accreditation centre operates between 08h30 and 18h00. The centre is situated at Conference Centre 2 (please press level R2 in the lifts).

Members of the media are reminded to bring their original IDs or passports as well as press cards or letters of assignment from the editor.

Members of the media are also reminded that each must pick up his/her own card. You cannot collect on behalf of someone else.

It is a serious offence to temper with the card or pass it on to third parties. Lost accreditation cards must be reported to the police.

Detailed media guidelines, including the draft media programme, are available on the XV BRICS Summit website, www.brics2023.gov.za.

ISSUED BY THE XV BRICS SUMMIT COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

As South Africa prepares to host the XV BRICS Business Summit under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”; the BRICS Business Council in partnership with the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA); supported by the Organisation for Global Africa Cooperation (OGAC), will convene an Africa Caucus of representatives of business organisations and CEOs and Chairpersons of large companies from the rest of the continent on the sidelines of the BRICS Business Forum.

The objective of the meeting is to:

• Share South Africa’s strategy and plans to develop and strengthen business ties with and to promote trade and investment between the rest of African business communities and the BRICS nations.

• Explore initiatives to promote the participation of the African private sector into the activities of the BRICS Council and to facilitate and strengthen Africa’s Trade & Investment partnerships with the BRICS nations and its business communities.

• Identify opportunities and challenges towards the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and the role of IPAs in facilitating BRICS investments.

• Engage in peer exchanges and sharing of practices and experiences of IPAs across several Africa countries in navigating challenges and boosting intra-Africa commerce and in facilitating BRICS investments.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover this engagement.

Details:

Date: Friday, 18 August 2023

Time: 14h00-16h00 CAT

Venue: The Constitution Hill, 11 Kotze Street, Braamfontein

Media RSVP and queries RSVP: Text Zikona Captain, Head of Communication, SA BRICS Business Council @+27717506866

ISSUED BY BRICS BUSINESS COUNCIL, ZIKONA CAPTAIN

South Africa, through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), together with the South African BRICS Business Council, will host the BRICS Trade Fair at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand from 19-23 August 2023. The fair will be officially opened by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel on Saturday, 19 August 2023 at 10h00.

The exhibition will serve as a platform for showcasing products and services from the BRICS countries as well as business-to-business interaction aimed at increasing intra-BRICS trade and investment. Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the fair and the BRICS Business Council Programme, which will include a series of sectoral sessions that will include, among others:

• Energy Cooperation Forum
• Accelerating Infrastructure Development through Government Business /Private Partnerships
• Embracing the Digital Economy for Transformation and Advancement
• BRICS Dialogue on Airlift Strategy
• Importance of Skills for Emerging and Future Jobs
• DFI Funding Instruments
• The BRICS Manufacturing Forum
• Oceans Economy High Level Dialogue
• BRICS Dialogue on Airlift Strategy
• Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response (PPPR) – Side Event
• Africa’s Economic Place in the BRICS Alliance that will be hosted by Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA).

See the attached BRICS Business Council Programme.

The fair will be a platform to showcase proudly South African products and services from companies and institutions from South Africa and the rest of Africa, as well as Brazil, Russia, India and China. These companies and institutions are from sectors such as agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, automotives, pharmaceuticals, energy and energy infrastructure.

South Africa, as Chair of BRICS, will host the XV BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 22-24 August 2023, under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”.

The summit will be preceded by the Inward Buying and Investment Missions from Brazil, Russia, India and China that will take place in Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal from 13-23 August 2023; the official opening of the BRICS Trade Fair by BRICS Trade Ministers at the Gallagher Convention Centre on 19 August 2023; and the BRICS Business Forum at the Sandton Convention Centre on 22 August 2023.

For more information on the BRICS Business Programme please find the attached schedule.

Journalists who would like to cover the events at Gallagher Convention Centre should submit their details to Tshilidzi Mugovhoro via telephone: (012) 394 1399 / 082 879 6792 or e-mail: TMugovhoro@thedtic.gov.za.

Enquiries:

Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations

Tel: (012) 394 1643 / Mobile: 079 508 3457

WhatsApp: 074 299 8512

E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za

Or

Zikona Captain – Head of Communication: BRICS Business Council

Mobile: 071 750 6866

Email: zikona@sabricsbusinesscouncil.co.za

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION (the dtic)

Follow us on Twitter: @the_dtic

Media is invited to join a virtual meeting lead by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition on the state of readiness of the BRICS Business Programme starting on 18 August 2023.

After several months of planning and groundwork, we have now reached the last mile of the preparation stage and as we enter the delivery stage of the BBC events, we will have our final meeting prior to the arrival of the BRICS delegates in South Africa.

The meeting will cover the following:

1. A brief economic overview of the BRICS countries.

2. Presentation on the State of Readiness for the BBC events.

3. Remarks and Message by Minister E Patel to Team SA.

Date: 17 August 2023

Venue: Virtual

Time: 10h00–11h00

Joining Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84392883929?pwd=TlBnRE5zU08yZkE2RmxRRDJzQkZTQT09

ISSUED BY BRICS BUSINESS COUNCIL, ZIKONA CAPTAIN