The recent trade war with the United States has sparked concern that South Africa could face economic isolation. But industry bodies like the South African BRICS Business Council have for years helped facilitate a series of strategic agreements spanning energy, finance, infrastructure and trade, to lay the groundwork for economic prosperity beyond traditional trade partners. Together, these deals offer a clearer picture of how BRICS cooperation is being translated into real-world investment and industrial development. Here are examples of key relationships sealed in recent years.
- Renewable energy joint venture
One of the clearest deal-level outcomes linked to the council’s work is the partnership between South Africa’s Sinayo Group and China’s Mingyang Smart Energy. A joint venture agreement was signed to establish solar (PV) and wind turbine manufacturing plants in South Africa, backed by an estimated R1 billion investment, and expected to create over 1,000 jobs and supply energy infrastructure across Southern Africa. This is a flagship example of BRICS-enabled industrialisation, combining Chinese technology with South African localisation goals.
- Local currency trade & credit agreements
Through the broader BRICS business and banking ecosystem (closely aligned with the Business Council), South Africa has been part of agreements to:
- Enable trade financing in local currencies
- Establish multilateral letters of credit between BRICS banks
- Reduce reliance on the US dollar in intra-BRICS trade
These agreements directly support the council’s push for lower transaction costs and financial sovereignty in Global South trade.
- BRICS cable & digital connectivity initiative
The council has supported proposals for a high-capacity submarine cable system linking BRICS countries. These proposals aim to improve digital connectivity and data infrastructure and are designed to remove bottlenecks to trade and communication between member states.
While still developmental, this reflects the council’s role in shaping large-scale, cross-border infrastructure agreements.
- Just energy transition & skills cooperation agreements
Under South Africa’s BRICS leadership priorities, the council has driven agreements and frameworks around:
- A BRICS-aligned Just Energy Transition partnership
- Creation of an African Centre of Excellence linked to BRICS partners
- Development of shared energy skills benchmarks and labour planning systems
These are strategic, forward-looking agreements tying energy transition to workforce development and industrial policy.
- AfCFTA–BRICS trade integration efforts
The council has actively supported aligning BRICS cooperation with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):
- Promoting intra-African procurement and industrial scale-up
- Linking African markets with BRICS investment and supply chains
- Encouraging South Africa as a gateway for BRICS into Africa
- BRICS Solutions Awards & Innovation Partnerships
The council has institutionalised cooperation through initiatives like the BRICS Solutions Awards, which identify and scale joint projects in energy, climate, digital tech and food systems and tring together businesses, governments and innovators across BRICS countries. These act as a pipeline for future cross-border agreements and investments.
