The Gauteng province will be a hive of business, tourism, trade and investment activities this coming week as the golden province welcomes thousands of delegates and support teams for the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. The formal sessions of this important gathering are expected to be spread across the major economic and business events nodes of the city region with Sandton City, Gallagher Convention Centre, Birchwood and Montecasino amongst others playing host.

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 together with his BRIC counterparts on 19 August 2023.

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, amongst 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).

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 by Tuesday, 15 August 2023, as soon as they have received their accreditation for the BRICS Summit.

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)

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