R340 billion capital BUILDING BRICS FOR THE FUTURE ... · PDF fileChanging the world, one tree...

B R I C S S u m m i t t o b u i l d " S t r o n g e r P a r t n e r s h i p s f o r a B r i g h t e r F u t u r e ”

B U I L D I N G B R I C S F O R T H E F U T U R E

S O U T H A F R I C A

ISSUE 01 AUGUST 2017

R340 billion capitalinvestment programme

Brand South Africa

Brand South Africa

Try South Africa. On a continent that is considered the world’s future for the next 20 years in terms of growth and demand, South Africa delivers world-class infrastructure and a sophisticated business environment. Come to Africa and choose the country that has been voted the top investment destination in Africa. Choose South Africa.

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• INDUSTRIALISATIONReaping the benefits of greater participation

• AGRO-PROCESSINGFuelling growth in BRICS

• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYChanging the world, one tree at a time

• INNOVATIONA fast-changing landscape

• TOURISMBRICS provides major boost

• TECHNOLOGYCreating human spare parts

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Foreword Dr Rob Davies

Foreword Dr Kingsley Makhubela

MAIN FEATURES

• DR IQBAL SURVÉThe importance of the SA BRICS Business Council

• RUSTENBERG LOCAL MUNICIPALITYExecutive Mayor, Councillor Mpho Khunou

• PLUGGING THE GAPSNew Development Bank to the fore

• SA’S ROLE IN BRICSBoxing above its weight

• BUILDING BRICS IN CHINASeeking closer cooperation among member states

• ENTREPRENEURS & SMMESA lifeline to growth

• LOGISTICSSiyabonga GAMA, CEO of Transnets

• INCLUSIONBringing the youth on board

• RATING AGENCYNew credit-rating body needed

• ENERGYCrucial for economic development

• ARTS & CULTUREGiving hope, and enhancing cultural ties

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F O R E W O R D

STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

FOREWORD Dr ROB DAVIES

(Minister of Trade and Industry, South Africa)

BRICS, our association of five major emerging economies: Brazil,

Russia, India China and South Africa, is ushering in its second decade, and we

have every reason to look to a promising future with confidence as we honour this milestone, and celebrate our collective achievements.

The formation of BRICS represented a seismic shift in global affairs as it progressively ushered in a new era of equitable and massive economic development for humanity. BRICS has also made major inroads in bringing an emerging market view in global discussions on trade and investment so as to promote development-centred and inclusive growth.

This year’s theme: “BRICS: Stronger Partnerships for a Brighter Future” succinctly captures our response to the insipid growth in the global paradigm. In as much as BRICS countries have been impacted by the global downturn, one should also reflect on the BRICS’ contributions to global growth. Over the past decade, intra-BRICS trade has grown from 12% to 23%, and its share in international trade increased from 11% to 16% respectively. Further to this, our membership in shared platforms such as the G20 alliance enables us to significantly advance the ambitions of developing nations as they relate to job creation and poverty alleviation.

However, as developing economies we need to entrench our support towards transforming the international economy as we strive towards a more multi-polar global order. In pursuance thereof and in the midst of the global economic recovery, I believe that stronger South-South trade remains a critical axis in responding to the pessimism in the global environment.

At this juncture, allow me to reflect on the growth rate of BRICS countries’ trade with Africa, which has outpaced the average global trade growth with the rest of the world. A look at the investment patterns shows that foreign direct investment into Africa has increased with China and India leading the group in terms of

both footprint and coverage. Further to this, Africa’s economic pulse has indeed quickened, infusing the Continent with a new commercial vibrancy. This can be attested to by the International Monetary Fund, which confirmed that Africa has 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world with GDP set to grow to USD29 trillion by 2050. Furthermore, the Continental Free Trade Area that is currently underway aims to build an integrated region in Africa that will see a market of over 1 billion people and approximately US$2.6 trillion. This burgeoning consumer market makes a compelling case for BRICS members to intensify their cooperation efforts on the Continent.

Within the context of South Africa’s economic agenda as outlined in our economic policy blue prints namely the National Development Plan and the New Growth Path, the Department of Trade and Industry is leading the implementation of the industrial policy action plan and creating a manufacturing base in South Africa. In light of our infrastructure development ambitions of the New Development Bank is a most welcomed initiative as we seek to gain access to funding to projects in, and not limited to, manufacturing and the creation of value-adding activities especially in the agro-processing, mining and minerals beneficiation, automotives, electro-technical and green economy sectors as well as infrastructure construction projects such as roads, railways, ports and power generation.

We as Government would like to articulate our emphatic commitment in support of increasing commercial collaborations between our BRICS partners as outlined within the BRICS Strategy for Economic Partnerships and discussions within the Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues platform. I therefore commend the progress made by the BRICS Business Council and the efforts in particular of the South African Chapter of the Council.

Thank you!!

Project Manager for BRICS Business Council SA

Mike [email protected]

EditorDavid Capel

Deputy editorMusa Ndlangamandla

Art directorTariq Cassim

ContributorsSipho Dube

Timothy Simelane Felani Holdings Ink Ekhaya Kusekhaya

Vaal University of Technology

Proof readerSteven Ogden

Advertising managerInnocentia Rakosa

[email protected]

Publishing editorRobbie Stammers

Office managerSusan Ball

Secretariat for BRICS Business Council SAZenariah Barends

[email protected]

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A group of 46 South African lecturers will have their educating capacity oiled and sharpened during a four-week Lecturer Development Programme in China, from August to September 2017.

The programme, sponsored by the merSETA in partnership with the Chinese Culture and International Education Centre, will provide the lecturers with an opportunity to upgrade their skills in an international learning environment. Training will be provided in Machinery and Electrical Skills (CNC Processing), 3D Printing as well as Robotics and Mechatronics.

The merSETA executives will join the lecturers at a later stage and both will attend the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Skills Competitions in the respective skills areas.

As the merSETA, we are proud to be part of this joint initiative.

South African Lecturers’ Development Programme in China

LEADERS IN CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP

merSETA ocialS @mer ocialsetaswww.merseta.org.zaw

WE CARE:

It’s about caring for peoplewe render services to.

WE BELONG:

It’s about working togetherwith colleagues.

WE SERVE:

It’s about going beyond thecall of duty.


F O R E W O R D

South Africa remains committed to advancing the African development objectives and uses multilateral platforms, such as the BRICS association of countries, to increase strategic cooperation among emerging market economies of the South in support of this agenda.

In a period of turbulent changes in the international socio-political and economic climate, the critical question confronting not only South Africa, but all nations of the global-south, pertains to how we can enhance multilateralism, deepen mutual understanding, and leverage our bilateral and multilateral relations for the benefit of developing societies and emerging markets.

South Africa’s interaction with the global community is premised on its commitment to creating a better South Africa in a better Africa, and in a better world. Together with peer BRICS member states, South Africa advocates for the transformation of systems of global governance, and therefore remains open to finding new and inspiring ways to cooperate with global partners, through institutions such as the BRICS.

South Africa supports the Africa Development Integration agenda which is underpinned by three critical elements, namely: • Market integration• Industrial growth• Infrastructure development

We leverage on platforms such as the BRICS to promote opportunities presented by the regional integration agenda. Recent findings from the AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index places South Africa as the 25th top investment destination as ranked by global business audiences.

In recent months the Ernst & Young (EY) Africa Attractiveness programme once again indicates that not only does South Africa

DR KINGSLEY MAKHUBELA

CEO Brand SA

attract the bulk of FDI destined for the African continent, but it is also, this year, the 5th largest source of FDI in the African economy.

Furthermore, South Africa’s hard and soft infrastructures, its diversified market, and the sophistication of its financial and business sectors, provide BRICS partners with a solid foundation for either inward investment into our economy, or to utilise South Africa as a springboard for operations within the African continent.

Our membership of BRICS further entrenches our commitment to deepening South-South relations with the aim of not only supporting multilateral talk shops, but to open new channels for trade, investment, and mutual support in challenging times.

To this end we believe that BRICS has, since inception, matured to become more than an informal club of emerging markets, but is graduating to becoming an international institution to be reckoned with, which can, through collective efforts and careful coordination, effect tangible change in domestic and international environments.

As explored in a Research Report by Brand South Africa in September 2015 – BRICS as a young multilateral organisation, has high compliance levels by member states, which are positive indicators that reaffirm, once again, that the BRICS brand is being developed and shaped through cooperation amongst developing nations.

In addition – BRICS has developed several interventions, such as the Academic Forum, the New Development Bank, Contingent Reserve Mechanism, and a host of interventions aimed at bridging geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers between the nations. As a multi-cultural, multi-religious society South Africa welcomes, and is open to deepening these interactions.

BRICS countries have provided significant opportunities for growth in the global economy and have greater prospects to do so in the future. It is evident that the size of the

BRICS economies, and their demand for a prominent and influential political voice on the international stage, makes them particularly relevant to the African continent’s regional development and investment prospects program as outlined in Agenda 2063.

As we convene the 9th BRICS Summit under the theme: “Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”, South Africa stands ready to contribute to inspired new ways that will embrace a wide range of summit-level issues related to global governance, aimed at the development of humanity in pursuing the agenda for a more equitable and fair world for all.

Team South Africa remains cognisant of the work that needs to be done to ensure that our country remains an attractive investment destination. This is one of the messages we would like to take to the BRICS Summit – being that South Africa is not only open for business, but that the country welcomes increased cultural, economic, academic, and societal interactions.

South Africa believes that we can enhance human development through our economic and business relations that we share with our BRICS members. We are committed to the sustained growth of the African continent, and our fraternity in the continent transcends geographical borders.

Each member state of BRICS is there to ensure growth of their respective economies, thus improving the quality of life for the citizens we serve. It is therefore incumbent upon each of the states represented in BRICS to unequivocally champion the development agenda. Together - we can become the frontier of the global economy.

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S A B R I C S C O U N C I L

I q b a l S u r v é C h a i r p e r s o n

D a n i s a B a l o y iC o u n c i l M e m b e r

S i y a b o n g a G a m aC o u n c i l M e m b e r

S t a v r o s N i c o l a o uC o u n c i l M e m b e r

B o n g a n i N q w a b a b a C o u n c i l M e m b e r

S e l l o R a s a e t h a b a F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s

R a v i n d r a N a i r I n f r a s t r u c t u r e

B r i a n D a m e s E n e r g y a n d t h e G r e e n E c o n o m y

B h a b h a l a z i B u l u n g a S k i l l s D e v e l o p m e n t

L e s e t j a M a g o b a M a n u f a c t u r i n g

J a n V a n L o g g e r e n b e r g M a n u f a c t u r i n g

S u n i l G e n e s s D e r e g u l a t i o n

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SA Chapter BusinessCouncil Members

Working Group Leaders

SA Chapter Business Council Members

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D R I Q B A L S U R V É

THE South Africa BRICS Business Council (SABBC) is setting targets in line with the economic imperatives of the country, Chairman of the Council, Dr Iqbal Survé says.

Dr Survé was appointed chairman of the Council by the SA Cabinet this year. The BRICS alliance, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa established the BBC in March 2013. The Council’s objective is to work hand-in-hand with their Governments, to find new ways for economic growth and social cohesion for billions of people.

“We set ourselves on a course to roll back centuries of economic drought. BRICS gives us an opportunity to create jobs, and work in partnerships to re-skill and up-skill our workforce,” Dr Survé says.

He says since taking over the Chairmanship he has been hard at work to ensure the Council delivers on its mandate to facilitate and promote

trade and industry. “The Business Council plays a

crucial role. It is there to ensure that as a country we can channel foreign direct investment from across the world, from Brazil, Russia, India and China,” Dr Survé says.

What is key for him is that the only way to create wealth for the billions of people who live in BRICS countries, is if everyone works together. “To achieve this we have to make sure that the business and public sectors are aligned in implementing plans based on the shared vision for economic growth.”

The seven working groups; infrastructure, deregulation, agribusiness, financial services, skills, manufacturing and energy and the green economy work in concert with their counterparts in BRICS, but also with each other.

While all seven are of utmost importance, Dr Survé says deregulation, skills development and

We interview BRICS Business Council South Africa Chapter chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé on the importance of the Council and how it dovetails with the work of BRICS.

BRICS GIVES US AN

OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE JOBS, AND

WORK IN PARTNERSHIPS TO RE-SKILL OUR

WORKFORCE

SABBC: striving for economic growth and social cohesion

B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E R L Y - B R I C S | 1 1D A T E 2 0 1 7


DR IQBAL SURVÉBRICS Business Council

South Africa Chapter chairman



building infrastructure are high on the list of priorities for the BBC.

“BRICS countries have cut some red tape to allow for ease of business, making investors more willing to operate in SA. But we also need the necessary skills to provide investors with the human capital they need.

“Infrastructure is important - as more corporations invest we need roads, bridges, better rail infrastructure and to increase our capacity at ports,” Dr Survé says.

BRICS, he says, is the framework for the sharing of technologies and capital and resources in a structured way.

“This gives us a chance of competing in a globalised world, because if we didn’t have that opportunity, we would be left to the mercy of the markets, and the markets can be very brutal and ruthless to you if you do not have the ability to withstand it. So at least with the formation of BRICS, all five countries are able to group their resources to be able to complete effectively.”

“Through BRICS we have access to the global market, and access to capital. The SA Government debt is 51.7 percent of the GDP; most of the country’s budget goes to servicing that debt and investing in infrastructure. Therefore, because we are constrained we cannot invest in new

opportunities to create jobs. But our partners in BRICS, who have the capital, are able to invest to create jobs,” he points out.

Dr Survé says the SA Government has to be credited for realising the goal for SA to be a partner in the multilateral forum.

“The private sector has seen how the State continues to amend policies and laws to create attractive conditions to draw investments.”

Dr Survé believes it is not up to the government alone to fix South Africa’s unemployment woes. The state, he says, is not a creator of many jobs. This is where the private sector has a role to play, to work hand-in-hand with the government.

“SA has participated in many multi-national institutions, such as the UN, the AU, and the G20. Our partnership with BRICS is not meant to be at the exclusion of other investment partners, such as the EU and North America. It is intended to augment these partnerships and draw increased investment,” he says.

Dr Survé points out that protectionism politics from traditional trading partners such as the US, and some European countries has had immediate negative economic consequences for South Africa and the 1.2 billion-strong African family.

“We have to remain innovative and in tune with our alliance. We must see BRICS as a flotilla, able to survive the headwinds and the storms,” he says.

BRICS is fast moving to work with “BRICS Plus and BRICS Plus-Plus” –

THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS SEEN HOW THE STATE

CONTINUES TO AMEND POLICIES AND LAWS TO

CREATE ATTRACTIVE CONDITIONS TO DRAW

INVESTMENTS



countries surrounding BRICS nations. BRICS Plus will create regional networks in logistics, transport and finance.

Referring to the BRICS Summit in Xiamen Fujian Province in September, Dr Survé says there will be ministerial multi-lateral co-operation at senior ministerial level as well as business multi lateral cooperation and academic, cultural and other levels of cooperation.

“Because it is under the ambit of the five governments, all these various spheres of cooperation are given real substance and support and they are not simply there to discuss things as at talk shops but to implement decisions which are ultimately in the interest of the five countries and their regions.”

Dr Survé says globalisation - which means many things to different people but which is, in essence, the rapid flow of monies, resources and technologies, made possible because of integration of the international economy - was intended to enable countries to grow at a rapid rate, if they are correctly positioned for such growth.

Globalisation can result in huge inflows of capital and resources which, if managed properly, can cause a fairly dramatic and

exponential change in the fortunes of a country and has the capability to take hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

Globalisation, however, can also be to the detriment of countries if they are unable to enter into the international community on an equal footing. Dr Survé says the benefits of globalisation have always been for those countries that have significant financial resources.

He says BRICS gives SA an opportunity to realise the objectives of economic and social growth.

Dr Survé says his personal interest is human development and people.

“At a micro level, by promoting people development, you create a situation where people have an incentive to contribute towards societies and cohesion and stabilisation, and that, in turn, leads to much better peaceful co-existence within a society itself ”.

“I really believe that the best way to give people dignity is to put in place a structure for their development. This could be through philanthropy, investing in a way thathas a positive social impact, or by employing people.”

I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY TO

GIVE PEOPLE DIGNITY IS TO PUT IN PLACE A

STRUCTURE FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT


R U S T E N B U R G L O C A L M U N I C I P A L I T Y

Executive Mayor Councillor MPHO KHUNOU



It’s all hands to the pump as Rustenburg Local Municipality in the North West Province of South Africa unveils big reforms to boost economic growth and international business partnerships, through commitment to providing the required level of safeguards and security for foreign and domestic investors.

Executive Mayor Councillor Mpho Khunou places efforts to diversify the economy in order to end the area’s over-reliance on mining, whilst raising global awareness regarding opportunities in sectors such as construction, tourism, manufacturing, services and technology at the heart of such reforms.

Rustenburg is strategically located near to the economic heartland of South Africa (Johannesburg is 100km away), and has a popualtion of approximately 500,000. This is projected to grow to more than 1 million by 2040, based on an annual growth rate of 2.1%. Rustenburg is located in Bojanala District Municipality and has a total geographical area of 3,423km2. It was one of the official host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Cllr Khunou not only draws attention to the plethora of opportunities in Rustenburg, but also lists a number of specific, targeted portfolio projects worth billions of dollars to foster inclusive growth partnerships between locals and the global investment community.

One of the mega-projects, Cllr. Khunou says, is a US$ 400, million granite beneficiation venture that has reached final stages with a Chinese consortium. Land’s has been allocated.

Moreover, a staggering US$ 150 million has been spent in road infrastructure and the integration of all transport modes in the last five years to ensure seamless movement of people, goods and services. The Municipality is making great progress on a bus rapid transport (BRT) system. Named Yarona™ - It is Ours in SeTswana - the system will provide the people with a safer, faster, affordable, efficient and environmentally friendly public transport service. It will ensure the seamless movement of large numbers of people to all parts of the city quickly and safely.

AMONG THE ENABLERS FOR INVESTMENT AND TRADE ARE:• A project in partnership with the private

sector for bulk electricity supply capable of taking care of a minimum 20 years energy requirement,

• Bulk water services in partnership with Magalies Water and Pilanesberg Water to provide an additional 30 mega litres of water per day (30 million litres). This is over and above upgrades to the Municipality’s own water services trust. Bospoort Water Works facility to be upped from 12 mega litres to 24 mega litres.

• Improvement in telecommunications, ICTs and access to the internet

• CBD redevelopment to back aspirations becoming: “A world class city where communities enjoy a high quality of life”.

• Integrated and effective crime prevention, detection and solving strategy. “Working with law enforcement and community stakeholders we have intensified our efforts and resources to make Rustenburg an unwelcome for anyone who wants to commit crime.”

• Improvements in health and recreational facilities and intensified efforts to fight diseases

South Africa produces more than two-thirds of the world’s platinum and the mines sit in Rustenburg, something that has led to the area’s rapid economic growth and urban expansion. The mining sector accounts for 70% of Rustenburg’s economy, and the area still has huge platinum group metals (PGM) reserves, which Cllr. Khunou estimates to have a life span of

between 20 -30 years. However, in the last few years the global mining industry has been on the decline and in Rustenburg this has led to a hemorrhaging of jobs in the sector with some 30 000 people being retrenched.

“The Municipality, working in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources, mining houses, the Royal Bafokeng Household and other stakeholders has come up with an Integrated Master Plan with a long-term vision for the time horizon of 25 years (up to 2040). One of the pillars of the Plan is growth, transformation and beneficiation in our mining industry. This will help us provide infrastructure for mineral beneficiation to add value to export materials, create jobs and deepen industrialization,” Cllr. Khunou says.

“Rustenburg is promoting joint ventures between local companies and global investors across the PGM value chain in extraction, refining and beneficiation.”

Rustenburg’s Interventions to advance the beneficiation industry:• A special economic zone (SEZ) is being

set up and land has been allocated by the Municipality to advance the beneficiation promotion programme. The SEZ has a bevy of incentives including tax concessions, access to business loans and grants and specialised factory shells. “This will support our broader-based industrialisation growth path, boost private investment, both domestic and foreign, in labour-intensive areas whilst increasing job creation, competitiveness, skills and technology transfer, and exports of beneficiated products.” For example, the construction industry will partner with the Municipality to ensure training and that SMME owners are empowered with the process of Grade Levels.

• An inter-modal logistics hub is earmarked to support all other sectors of the economy.

• This will also feature a ‘Mining Supplier House’ to ensure benefits of the beneficiation industry are passed on to the local economy in terms of goods and services.

• Spending of a reasonable and agreed upon percentage of profits from mining houses on skills development, enterprise development for SMMEs and on community development projects.

• Promotion of SMMEs, youth entrepreneurship and empowerment of locals.

Cllr. Khunou adds that the Municipality is repositioning itself as an agri-business centre

THIS IS PROJECTED TO GROW TO MORE THAN 1 MILLION BY

2040, BASED ON AN ANNUAL GROWTH

RATE OF 2.1%.


by focusing on food processing, agricultural technology and sustainable agriculture.

INTERVENTIONS FOR AGRI-BUSINESS GROWTH:• Investment of US$ 400, 000 in Phatsima

vegetable production project• Land allocated to construct a fully-fledged

Fresh Produce Market• US$ 400, 000 investment in the Marikana

Agro-hub. This is part of the presidential intervention in Marikana

Cllr. Khunou also lists enhanced investment in Rustenburg’s education sector as a draw card for local and foreign investors. “In today’s knowledge-driven economies, access to quality education and the chances for development are two sides of the same coin. We are investing hugely to improve quality and learning outcomes at all levels, not just for Rustenburg but the country and continent as a whole. We are also encouraging leaners to see mathematics and science as enablers for a brighter future. We should also encourage technical education,” he says.

INTERVENTIONS FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR:• The municipality is collaborating with

the mining sector to build a university of technology

historical interactions of the traditional authorities, communities with settlers and development of tourism routes

• Partnership with Sun City, Pilanesberg Nature Park, and private sector tourism concerns

Cllr Khunou says all the interventions are based on a commitment by all structures within the municipality to uphold service excellence and put people first. “We want to continuously improve our status regarding ease of doing business to make the process straight forward. Turnaround times of applications, cost, elimination of bureaucratic red tape, zero tolerance to corruption and nepotism and open and effective communication are key pillars of our strategy.”

INTERVENTIONS FOR EASE OF DOING BUSINESS AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE:• Within four months publicise its service

standards, deliverables and turn-around times, and treat all customers whether residents, visitors, investors with the same level of professionalism and transparency

• Consequences based performance monitoring and evaluation

• Proper skills audit, staff qualification audit and incentive scheme.

Musa Ndlangamandla

• Work is progressing to build a number of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to boost entrepreneurship, skills for industry.

• Considerable investment to embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution that brings breakthroughs in computing power, connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and other innovative technologies.

Cllr. Khunou says Rustenburg’s proximity to the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland makes it a perfect gateway to greater Africa and an attractive multi-layered tourism destination. Rustenburg has invested significant resources to promote environmental, historical- socio cultural heritage, and economic tourism.

INTERVENTIONS FOR TOURISM:• Platinum Theme Park to be built to give

visitors an experience in mining shaft tours and the life of miners

• Due to over subscription of conferencing, convention and entertainment facilities in the area and collaborations with industry players are being pursued for such projects to benefit the entire continent

• One stop cultural village exploring the


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N E W D E V E L O P M E N T B A N K

The New Development Bank (NDB) continues to plug the infrastructure projects gap among BRICS member states following renewed impetus to add over US$ 2.5 billion this year in new credits.

The NDB is among the most important flagships of the BRICS association of countries. It has been described fondly as a hard-won result of the cooperation of the BRICS countries, whilst it also exemplifies how emerging economies derive strength and achieve more by rallying around one another and connecting closely for mutual benefit.

NDB President Kundapur Vaman Kamath says the financial resources will be highly beneficial in supporting emerging economies and developing countries with infrastructure and sustainable development projects, including renewable energy projects.

The NDB is future focused in its strategy and is poised to cushion cross-country infrastructure needs within BRICS. This is particularly important when considering that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that the world will experience its infrastructure demands as high as USD50 trillion by 2030.

Clearly, efforts to strengthen the infrastructure development will help the BRICS countries improve their investment climate, promote cross-border trade, stimulate economic growth, and break trade protection arising from multilateral systems, thus creating a new economic order across the world.

The NDB was formally launched in 2014 during the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil and is headquartered in Shanghai, China; with a regional centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Authorities are finalizing work to have the NDB establish an effective presence in all BRICS countries.

South African President Jacob Zuma says the NDB was welcomed by all, and expressed the country’s pride in hosting the regional centre.

“It is an important additional factor in the global financial transactions.”

“The NDB is a complement, instead of a challenge, to existing international institutions [such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund],” according to a statement made by Li Daxiao, chief economist of Yingda Securities, to AFP.

Among the major strides for the NDB is the move towards the establishment of a Clean Energy Fund to support energy related projects within BRICS countries and other emerging economies.

BRICS BANK PLUGS INFRASTRUCTURE

IT IS AN IMPORTANT

ADDITIONAL FACTOR IN THE GLOBAL

FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS


N E W D E V E L O P M E N T B A N K

The BRICS Business Council is moving ahead with efforts to enhance cooperation with NDB on project identification, pipeline development, co-financing, and knowledge exchange.

“The BRICS Business Council and NDB have always affirmed their commitment to work in close cooperation for better results. The Council shares resources with NDB and supports its growth. The entities are working on introducing mechanism with which both parties could have strategic engagements, carry out studies and share

best practice. At the same time, they will roll out a personnel training program so that financial and commercial professionals will be trained for the BRICS countries,” says an official close to the matter.

To ensure maximum efficiency and impact the entities will also explore matters of Blended Finance and consider case studies of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to complement the Clean Energy Fund as both are aimed at sourcing affordable project finance funding and credit enhancement to ensure the credit worthiness of entities in BRICS countries.

Proceeding from the actual financing needs in the market, it will provide financing to help BRICS participate in green projects together, or financial institutions in BRICS countries will render green projects internally with comprehensive financial services including loans and debt issuing, it has been proposed.

BRICS countries are in agreement that the role of the NDB in supporting infrastructure and sustainable development projects should be strengthened, adding that the BRICS Business Council should work together with the institution to share knowledge and jointly target the priority issues facing BRICS countries and emerging markets.

Some of the most important areas of cooperation and enhanced interaction between the BRICS Business Council and NDB include:• Sharing notes on targetted private sector and

non-sovereignty projects to broaden the NDB’s project portfolio

• Provision of financial support to the NDB, to underwrite its securities and to prepare and organise syndicated loans, with a view to

further integrating industry and finance• Strengthening of cooperation in specific

investment and financing fields.• Facilitation of cooperation with relevant

authorities in respective countries and coordination with local financial institutions for a potential partnership with NDB, especially with respect to financing of projects in local currency.

It has been noted that since the inception of the BRICS Business Council, it has been a top priority of its rotating presidencies to exchange and cooperate with the NDB, which was a tangible and substantive achievement of intra-BRICS cooperation. Since the establishment of the NDB, the Council kept track of the bank’s progress and stayed ready to provide recommendations for its governance, operation and project selection.

The Strategy of the NDB highlights the fact that the main functions of the regional offices will be identification and preparation of bankable projects in BRICS member countries and other emerging economies. Project preparation encompasses all the activities undertaken to advance a project from conceptualisation to implementation, including identification of funding sources, undertaking of assessments and community and stakeholder consultations.

In light of the need to strengthen the existing multilateral and regional financial institutions, the NDB is able to advance the ongoing reform on international financial institutions. Since most of the projects pertain to government credit, NDB is poised to intensify its partnership with the business sector of the BRICS countries. This will be in a joint effort to serve the construction projects owned by them and other developing countries.

Musa Ndlangamandla

D A T E 2 0 1 7

MZANSI:AFRICA’S STRONG

BUILDING BLOCK IN BRICS

2 0 | B R I C S - B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E R L Y

S A’ S R O L E I N B R I C S

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

MAITE NKOANA-MASHABANE



South Africa, and Africa as a whole, continue to make a sterling contribution to, whilst also deriving benefit from, economic co-operation within BRICS. For South Africa’s governing party and all peace loving people of this great country, identifying with the aspirations of BRICS is a principle that is as old as time.

The BRICS mechanism aims to promote development cooperation, security, peace and a more equitable and fair world. It has a resonance for the outcomes of the Freedom Charter and Bandung Conference, dating back to1955, which to this day are important milestones that informed these positions. It was necessary for South Africa to consider the restructuring of the global political, economic and financial architecture into one that is more equitable, balanced and rests on the important pillar of multilateralism. As an important part of the South and the global community, Africa has to take its rightful place in the new, equitable world order.

When we attended the 3rd BRICS Summit, South Africa immediately placed support for the African agenda on the agenda of BRICS, which resulted in the Sanya Declaration expressing its support for Africa’s industrialisation and for NEPAD programmes. South Africa consulted the African leadership on the continent’s aspiration vis-à-vis BRICS. Prior to the hosting of the 4th BRICS Summit in India, President Jacob Zuma mooted the concept of a New Development Bank at the G20 Summit held in Nice. The idea was also strongly welcomed and supported by the African Union leadership as the leaders of the African continent clearly knew what role the BRICS grouping could play on the continent.

BRICS SHARE OF THE WORLD ECONOMYBRICS countries produce a third of the world’s industrial products and one half of agricultural goods. The human resources base constitutes 43% of the global population, which is a significant consumer market with a constantly

growing demand for modern goods and services. Member states such as South Africa and India also enjoy a promising demographic dividend.

Intra-BRICS trade has grown by 70% since 2009. BRICS countries attracted 20.5% of global total direct investment in 2014, compared to only 16.9% in 2009. The share of BRICS capital investment on the global markets has also increased significantly from 9.7% to 14%. Over the past decade, the BRICS economic aggregate has soared from 12% of the global total to 23%, and its share in international trade increased from 11% to 16%.

BRICS ACHIEVEMENTSThe key achievements of BRICS that reflect the main benefits for South Africa include the first BRICS financial institutions that were created in 2014, namely: • New Development Bank (NDB)• Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).

These institutions are intended not only to complement the existing architecture, but also



to additionally leverage the resources of the Global South to directly address the needs (and shortcomings in the existing architecture) of the Global South through mobilising its significant resource base (BRICS foreign reserves are estimated at around USD 4 trillion).

The NDB could assist BRICS and other developing countries by investing in crucial sectors of their economies, such as infrastructure and sustainable development projects. The CRA will provide an additional safety net, as mentioned already. The first regional office of the NDB is the Africa Regional Centre (ARC), located in Johannesburg.

At the Goa Summit in India, BRICS leaders expressed their satisfaction with the progress in operationalising the ARC and pledged their full support in this regard. The first tranche of NDB project loans was disbursed in 2016, including a project in renewable energy amounting to USD 180 million to South Africa.

In the various Goa Summit events, including the BRICS Business Council and the leaders’ engagements, select projects were profiled that were of interest to South Africa and the Continent. These projects and areas included: Insurance and Re-insurance Cooperation; the BRICS Seed Bank; Infrastructure, including Electricity Generation and Transmission; the BRICS Cable Project, the African Union (AU) North-South Development Corridor; the Ocean’s Economy; Cooperation in Aviation; and Manufacturing.

Looking at India as one example of partnership with BRICS members,

bilateral trade between South Africa and India has been growing steadily over the past few years and last year (2016) totalled some R92 billion. India is a Strategic Partner for South Africa and Prime Minister Modi paid a successful official visit to South Africa in July 2016.

Both President Zuma and Prime Minister Modi noted that, while there had been an increase in trade figures, considerable scope existed to expand and strengthen the commercial relationship between South Africa and India further. Potential exists to grow trading opportunities in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry, agro-processing, mining equipment, the services sector and tourism. A number of companies from India have established themselves in South Africa, often in the manufacturing sector. Here in KwaZulu-Natal, for example, CIPLA, the Indian pharmaceutical giant, has a manufacturing plant. Good cooperation also exists between Dube Port and companies in India.

With respect to future agreements of BRICS, BRICS leaders have expressed interest in working towards the establishment of the BRICS Railways Research Network, the setting up of the BRICS Sports Council, and the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on the Environment. BRICS leaders have also considered the concept of an independent BRICS Rating Agency.

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C H I N A B R I C S

China is making major strides in its concerted efforts to push for closer cooperation among BRICS member states in various areas such as the economy, finance, trade and investment, infrastructure growth, technology, innovation and connectivity; as well as skills development.

The importance of such efforts to bolster intra-BRICS cooperation could not be more pronounced than in the current era, characterised by fragile recovery of the world economy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has affirmed that enhancing BRICS cooperation not only

protects and expands the interests of BRICS countries, but also helps explore ways to build a new type of international relations.

President Xi noted that in its 10 year history BRICS cooperation has broken down boundaries of distance, overcome differences of BRICS countries’ development path and social institutions, and showcased their shared aspiration for stability, development and people’s better livelihoods.

“As long as we follow the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results, and work together to build closer BRICS partnership, we will surely have the second golden ten years for BRICS cooperation,” President Xi says.

He also calls for synchronised development of the economy and finance cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and coordination on security issues among BRICS countries.

China, continuously seeks to promote cooperation and raised momentum to achieve the collective vision of BRICS countries to create a mutually inclusive and favourable environment for their growth, generation of employment opportunities and promoting sustainable livelihoods for the populations.

A lot of factors place China in good stead to facilitate such closer cooperation and catalyse growth prospects within BRICS. Chief among these is the fact that China’s real GDP expanded 6.7 percent in 2016 as expected and

CHINA CEMENTING TIES, ACHIEVING INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN BRICS


C H I N A B R I C S

it is projected to remain more than 6 percent leading up to 2019. Another notable trend is a recovery in goods trade is supporting an upturn in China’s exports, which in turn boosts imports of intermediate products across regional and global value chains.

Policy-induced infrastructure spending in China has also supported demand for industrial commodities, benefiting countries exporting raw materials.

An area of notable impact has been China’s role in deepening cooperation among BRICS Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and ensuring that they become more integrated in the global value chain and benefit from the global resources.

For example, the Bank of China (a member of the Chinese chapter of BRICS Business Council) has over the years been vigorously promoting the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, by among other things, leveraging on its global service network covering 52 countries and regions. In this regard the institution has been a great facilitator of cross-country matchmaking services for SMEs.

It also leads the way in the establishment of a platform of connectivity for the world’s

SMEs through the power of finance, thus ensuring an enabling environment for growth.

This has gone a long way to create bridges of growth and a win-win scenario for Chinese businesses to interact with their counterparts in Africa, share knowledge and experiences and interventions for lasting

CHINA CEMENTING TIES, ACHIEVING INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN BRICS

P O P U L AT I O N : 1 , 3 7 1 , 2 2 0 , 0 0 0 ( 2 0 1 5 )L A N G UAG E ( S ) : M a n d a r i nCA P I TA L C I T Y: B e i j i n gC U R R E N CY: R e n m i n b iG D P : $ 1 0 . 8 6 6 4 t r i l l i o n / p e r c a p i ta 7 9 2 5 ( Wo r l d B a n k d ata 2 0 1 5 )M a i n C i t i e s / P rov i n c e s : S h a n g h a i , G u a n g z h o u , N a n j i n g , C h o n g q i n g , H a n g z h o u , X i a m e nA re a : 9 , 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 k m 2S o u rc e : C h i n a S tat i st i c a l Ye a r b o o k 2 0 1 6

C H I N A AT A G L A N C E

BRIDGING THE CHASM

Xia Quan


C H I N A B R I C S

solutions to challenges they face. Such a leadership role and mutually beneficial initiative has led to impressive progress in building up SME financial services platforms amongst BRICS countries, give opportunities to resource sharing and meet the equity and bond financing needs of SMEs.

Another noteworthy intervention is China’s growing partnership with its counterparts in BRICS in expanding e-commerce cooperation. This effort seeks to progressively set the standard for international best practice regarding logistics and payments for goods and services. This is particularly important as the countries make efforts to continuously increase trade and export of goods into the Chinese market. According to Xinhua news, China imported US$70 billion worth of products from its BRICS counterparts in the first half of 2017; up 33.6 percent year on year. By increasing cooperation in e-commerce all the five BRICS countries do not want to be caught on the back foot when it comes to advances in this field.

Chinese company Sinopec’s EPEC e-commerce platform is making great progress in building an industrial product

trading e-platform oriented to the BRICS countries. According to its reports halfway through 2017 over 36,000 registered enterprise suppliers, covering 66 industries out of the 99 industries in China and over 1.8 million kinds of commodities, had been secured. Enterprises within BRICS will have access to the platform either as suppliers or buyers. They will also be exposed to the most competitive prices, observing the local legal and regulatory environment of each country.

Meanwhile, it is clear that strong economic growth means BRICS are now key players in the world economy and in global governance. Together, the five accounted for 23 percent of the 2016 global economy, almost double their share in 2006. The five have been the source of more than half of global growth in the past ten years.

“BRICS cooperation has not only helped the countries themselves, but enhanced the right to speak on global issues for all developing countries,” said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

Musa Ndlangamandla

BRICS COOPERATION HAS BROKEN DOWN

BOUNDARIES OF DISTANCE, OVERCOME

DIFFERENCES OF BRICS COUNTRIES’

DEVELOPMENT PATH

OLD FIDDLER AND HIS CAPTURED AUDIENCEYang Hong


E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S M M E S

BRICS Business Council is pulling out all the stops to ensure that entrepreneurs are at the centre of economic development among member states.

This stance comes in the backdrop of renewed commitment within BRICS towards driving small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) growth as a powerful lever for economic transformation and inclusive development.

Such efforts have been met with enthusiasm by entrepreneurs who see this as the proverbial silver bullet for sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

“When it comes to BRICS what is most exciting is that it calls upon entrepreneurs to start thinking about locally inspired solutions that demonstrate global possibilities. Primarily what the BRICS association of nations does is offer an opportunity for us to tap into a wider market. So as entrepreneurs we are in a space where we are thinking beyond our current borders. We are exposed to massive opportunities and solutions that are scalable,” says Thatoyaona Marumo (27), an accomplished

tech entrepreneur from South Africa.“There is also free flow of information and

an opportunity to learn from each other. As entrepreneurs we are able to see what works in the other countries and industries. WE have an opportunity to exchange ideas on best practice. There is exchange of ideas on how to solve particular challenges.”

Marumo adds that BRICS also focuses on opportunities of co-founding in key industries, explaining that, that means there is more money flowing around that can be accessed by start-ups, SMMEs and community enterprises.

He notes that opportunities for technology, innovation and new business ventures is huge within the ambit of BRICS.

Marumo lists some of the key benefits as follows:• Leap frogging model in the traditional

paths. That means certain obstacles or challenges are quickly dealt with and entrepreneurs experience an acceleration, skipping over or fast forwarding when it comes to dealing with these bottlenecks.

• Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to move from copying concepts to creating their own because of the increase in innovation. The

BRICS LIFELINE TO

ENTREPRENUERS,SMME GROWTH

AS ENTREPRENEURS

WE ARE IN A SPACE WHERE WE

ARE THINKING BEYOND OUR

CURRENT BORDERS


E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S M M E S

focus shifts from what is happening in the West or other developed countries.

“That means as entrepreneurs within BRICS we are able to create our own unique solutions. Undoubtedly we will see widespread innovation and collaboration among start-ups and high growth businesses,” Marumo says.

In another matter, it is a widely held view that young people in Russia are keen on entrepreneurship and their success can inspire their counterparts in other BRICS nations. In an opinion piece published by Forbes magazine under the title: ‘Why Young Russians Live and Breathe Entrepreneurship’, Mikhail Naumov describes them thus: “They move fast. They run at least three companies at the same time. They’re on the verge of an entrepreneurial renaissance stemming from open-web, rapid government investment into entrepreneurial ecosystems, and evolutionary startup mentality.”

Naumov, himself a successful entrepreneur is the co-founder of Digital Genius, a venture-backed AI company bringing practical applications of deep learning & artificial intelligence to customer service operations of

growing companies.Meanwhile, in June 2017 the Municipal

Government of Tianjin, Bank of China and BRICS Business Council co-organised the “2017 Tianjin (China) and BRICS High-tech SME Cross-border Investment and Trade Cooperation Conference”. Hundreds of small business and community enterprise owners from across the BRICS countries met potential funders and market principals.

The conference attracted about 570 businesses from 21 countries and in diverse industries such as new energy, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, electronic information technology, petrochemicals as well as traditional industries, namely, fisheries, agriculture and light textiles.

Among the major achievements of the ‘Cross-border Matchmaking’ conference was the leveraging of the role of financial institutions as vehicles for small business development, creating a platform for more effective communication and cooperation opportunities. All this, while providing cutting-edge financial services, products and support for BRICS small and medium size businesses and community enterprises, helping them to trade robustly in international markets.

As one of the eight core deliverables of the BRICS Business Council during China’s presidency this year (2017), the conference deepened the cooperation among BRICS SMMEs, helping them to be integrated in the global value chain and to benefit from the global resources, and therefore contribute to the promotion of BRICS image in the global arena.

Musa Ndlangamandla

THATOYAONA MARUMO THE TECH

ENTREPRENEUR

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L O G I S T I C S

Logistics Efficiency Heralds BRICS Growth

SIYABONGA GAMACEO TRANSNET

LOGISTICS PERFORMANCE IS CENTRAL TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS OF COUNTRIES, WITH THE LOGISTICS SECTOR BEING A CRUCIAL PILLAR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS THUS AN INCREASING NEED TO IMPLEMENT COHERENT AND CONSISTENT POLICIES TO FOSTER SEAMLESS AND

SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS AS AN ENGINE OF GROWTH.

B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E L Y - B R I C S | 3 1D A T E 2 0 1 7

L O G I S T I C SEfficient logistics connects firms to domestic and international markets through reliable supply chain networks. Conversely, countries characterised by low logistics performance face high costs, not merely because of transportation costs but also because of unreliable supply chains - a major handicap in integrating and competing in global value chains.

Africa’s contribution to global trade stands at just under 3% of global trade, compared to close to 6% for Latin America and a significant 28% for Asia. Intra-African trade accounts for about 10% of the continent’s total trade. This is far below the levels of intraregional trade achieved in Latin America and Asia (22% and 50%, respectively). There is clearly a growth opportunity here.

The BRICS Business Council has adopted a multi-pronged approach to growing logistics connectivity amongst the BRICS countries and their respective regions. Whilst the promotion of large scale infrastructure projects to close the infrastructure gaps remains a primary objective, increased cooperation in skills development, the development of international transport and logistics standards, and transport and logistics sector reform also feature high on the cooperation agenda of the Council.

The core objective of the Council is to create more efficient and effective trade corridors in the BRICS regions and between the BRICS countries that will contribute to driving intra-regional and inter-BRICS trade. In this respect, enhanced cooperation in maritime matters is particularly critical.

All BRICS economies have a significant exposure to the maritime sector and view it as a growth opportunity. To this end the Council has agreed to promote initiatives to encourage national fleets of BRICS nations, to encourage employment exchange and technology exchange programmes in oil and gas exploration, ship building and ship repair, ship breaking and dredging.

The Council has also recommended the establishment of a cooperation framework on all International Maritime Organisation (IMO) related matters and regulatory aspects of international trade and maritime transport, eliminating obstacles and restrictions that hold back the growth of emerging markets in international maritime services.

These sentiments resonate with South Africa’s long term focus on regional integration as a strategic growth objective. The intra-African market remains highly fragmented while Africa has integrated with the rest of the world faster

than with itself. Cross border production networks that have

been a salient feature of development in other regions have yet to blossom in Africa. The reasons for this are varied and complex but the absence of efficient and effective trade corridors is certainly amongst the key factors.

It has been estimated that the infrastructure gap in Africa saps growth by as much as 2% per year.

The road access rate is only 34%, compared with 50% in other parts of the developing world, and transport costs are higher by up to 100%. Only 30% of the population has access to electricity, compared to 70–90% in other parts of the developing world. The Internet penetration rate is only about 6%, compared to an average of 40% elsewhere in the developing world.

Infrastructure gaps are consistently cited as the biggest challenge to doing business on the African continent with Africa needing to spend approximately US$90bn per year during the next decade to upgrade and maintain its infrastructure base. Private sector capital is expected to play an increasing role in light of the budgetary constraints faced by many governments.

To overcome the numerous barriers to industrialisation and intra-regional trade we need to develop a collaboration mindset. Our individual markets are too small and constrained to meet their challenges acting alone. We need to build economies of scale and improve regional

connectivity to create new markets and better access to these markets.

One area of critical focus in the short term is the regional ports system. There is increasing recognition of the need for inter-port collaboration and Transnet continues to work with relevant stakeholders towards the development of a regional port masterplan as well as interacting at a port to port level to establish port pairing agreements and unified service offerings.

The problems affecting ports cannot in most cases simply be solved through regulatory reform, more investment and better management. These are often necessary but not sufficient. The key is to understand how the market is changing and to tailor your strategy accordingly. For too long we have ignored the benefits that cooperation could bring and we have discounted the potential of regional suppliers. We are also mindful of the need to grow the coastal shipping industry in the region, especially in light of inland infrastructure challenges. We are engaged in similar initiatives in rail, as we seek to build a high density core rail network in the region.

The BRICS cooperation can greatly improve our success in this area, given that as developing countries with their own infrastructure gaps, they grapple with the same problems that we do and as have we, have developed innovative insights and solutions in addressing these challenges.

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I N C L U S I O N

BRICS puts emphasis on inclusive societies


I N C L U S I O N

A closer look at youth policies of BRICS member states reveals that major strides are being made towards bringing on board young people to take action and determine their future.

Member states are seized with efforts to find future proof solutions to youth issues through progressive public policies, sustainable employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.

Matters of physical and mental health as well as the creation of a violence free and healthy environment in line with national policies, are also a priority. In all these interventions, the trend is to involve young people in the formulation and implementation of policy.

BRICS countries have over 720 million young people in the ages of 10 – 24 and they are the future of the emerging economies. That lends credence to efforts by BRICS to develop the potential of young people for contribution to the overall development objectives of member countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In South Africa, The National Youth Policy (NYP) for 2015 – 2020 (NYP 2020) is the government’s answer to challenges facing young people in the country and it is aimed at addressing their specific challenges and immediate needs. This policy improves on the first NYP which covered the period 2009 – 2014 by addressing new challenges faced by the youth. It also seeks to create an environment that enables the youth to reach their full potential.

According to South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela, in the development of NYP 2020, young people were extensively consulted and as a result, it is a policy that they own, not one that is being imposed on them. This, he adds, was to ensure that their voices are heard and their views are listened to.

“The outcome of the NYP 2020 is to produce empowered young people who are able to realise their full potential and understand their roles and responsibilities in making a meaningful contribution to the development of a non-racial, equal, democratic and prosperous South Africa. As a government we are fully cognizant of the fact that our country’s potential for growth is intrinsically linked to young people and the role that they play in society,” adds Manamela.

In India, the National Youth Policy was

launched in 2014 to empower the youth of the country to achieve its full potential and through them, enable the country to find its rightful place in the community of nations. The government also formulated the National Policy for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship in 2015 in order to provide an umbrella framework to all skilling activities being carried out within the country.

In Brazil, a new youth policy was adopted in 2010 and the constitution was amended to specifically include and protect youth. The National Youth Secretariat is also empowered to coordinate youth programmes and policy. It is also mandated to formulate, coordinate, integrate and articulate public policies for the youth.

Meanwhile another area that BRICS countries are making progress on is women’s economic empowerment, political leadership and participation in decision making. This is aimed at addressing the challenge of women not being part of taking decision that affect them.

In the meeting of BRICS Ministers Responsible for Population Matters held in Brazil, it was agreed that women and girls empowerment is a principle, not an instrument.

…progress being made towards upliftment and improvement of the material conditions of

the most vulnerable sections of society including youth,

women and people living with disabilities.

THE TREND IS TO INVOLVE YOUNG

PEOPLE IN THE FORMULATION

AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY.


I N C L U S I O N

The member countries also recognised the importance of the promoting of men in responsible parenthood and in the prevention of violence against women.

This lends credence to the commitment of BRICS governments to address challenges facing women within their countries. Progress is also being made in promoting gender quality and women-empowerment. Since the initiatives to address these challenges differ in each country, it is important that experiences be shared by the member states in order for them to improve on their policies.

China is already taking a leading role in in gender issues not only in BRICS but around the globe. In September 2016, the President of China, Xi Jinping donated US$10 million to UN Women to finance 100 projects on women-development and provide training for 130 000 women from development countries.

It is small wonder that China is playing a

leading role in addressing gender disparities considering that the most progressive and groundbreaking framework for advancing women’s rights, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was enacted in Beijing, China in 1995.

Moreover, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, member states are urged to strengthen instruments that ensure the prevalence of compliant legal and policy framework, that eliminate the economic vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities. This is part of the goal to ensure inclusive societies that uplift and improve the material conditions of the most vulnerable members of society. BRICS enjoins governments to demonstrate commitment and continued national effort to promote the equal and active participation of all persons with disabilities in key sectors of society.

Sipho Dube

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EXPERIENCES BE SHARED BY THE MEMBER STATES IN

ORDER FOR THEM TO IMPROVE ON THEIR

POLICIES

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ANA AINDY.indd 2 2017/07/31 1:15 PM


R AT I N G A G E N C Y

The BRICS Business Council is moving full steam ahead with calls for the establishment of a new credit-rating agency that will balance out the dominance of the big three developed-nation firms.

The Council was established in 2013 during the 5th BRICS Summit 2013 in Durban, South Africa, and among its main objectives is to promote and strengthen business, trade, and investment ties amongst business communities of the five BRICS countries.

For a while now the Council has been pushing for the BRICS states to create a competitor with a more effective structure for the global South, to the assessments of S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.

Critics of the ‘big three’ argue that the trio is beholden to the companies they rate because their revenue comes from these clients. Some of these ratings agencies have been sued for billions by various countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and many others following their findings.

Sello Rasethaba, chairperson of the Black Business Council (who also serves on the Financial Services Working Group of the Brics Business Council) recently weighed in on the issue of the need to step up efforts of setting up BRICS Rating Agency.

“The need for an alternative and improved professional credibility in the role of ratings agencies cannot be over emphasised. The reason is that it is the ordinary citizens that ultimately have to bear the brunt of

RATING AGENCY ON THE CARDSBy

the effects of a sovereign downgrade,” Rasethaba says.He adds that the issue of the BRICS Rating Agency first emerged during

the 2015 BRICS summit held in Ufa in Bashkortostan, Russia. Following the summit, the concept was deliberated upon by the BRICS Business Council.

At a meeting of the Working Group on Exploring the Feasibility of Establishing alternate Rating Agency for Emerging Markets, which was held in India, in 2016 issues raised centred on:• Need for harmonisation of regulation and/or rating scales • Alternative models for Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs)• Key performance indicators• Partnership model• Role of domestic CRAs.

Considerable work has been done in this regard and it is expected that the BRICS Rating Agency will come to fruition soon. This may see BRICS states moving forward towards creating an international rating agency that is independent from the western rating methods and thoughts rather than a regional rating agency that is only recognised within BRICS. It is envisaged that by doing so, BRICS will grow better internationally, win more developing countries’ joining and recognition, and be more likely to seize a larger share in the international rating market.

It will expose the inherent elements that lead to credit risk, reveal the professionalism, neutralism and objectiveness of rating, and protect rating from being confined by ideology and politics. When it comes to


R AT I N G A G E N C Y

RATING AGENCY ON THE CARDSrating standards and results, the agency should demonstrate the features globalisation, consistency and comparability. To conduct the global rating practice, the five BRICS countries should take into full account of their respective macro credit risk arising from political, legal, credit, economic and other factors while formulating rating standards.

It was also gathered that when deciding on the common and particular characteristics of their own credit risk, the countries should make rating standards and results applicable across the world.

According to Rasethaba the Council notes that the BRICS Rating Agency would aid the BRICS nations’ efforts to raise funds for development initiatives from capital markets and develop their bond markets.

“The BRICS Rating Agency will offer an emerging markets-focused credit evaluation framework for investors to evaluate and compare the credit risk of projects across emerging markets. It will have a methodology that will not only incorporate existing methodologies employed by the other rating agencies but also be more comprehensive, and will include insights based on its analysts’ experience and knowledge of BRICS and emerging markets,” he says.

Global investors will therefore be able to follow the rating scale offered by BRICS Rating Agency to get a finer distinction of credit quality on a much wider list of companies, banks, insurance companies and government owned entities within the emerging market space.

“This will enhance information availability of fixed income assets from these countries, thus providing issuers, investors and regulators a better appreciation of relevant risk factors and making the asset class a

more attractive investment opportunity from a global perspective.”

The need for the BRICS Rating Agency is further supported by the following factors:• Sharper differentiation in credits across the emerging markets space is

needed to facilitate flow of funds to these markets• Will enable cross-border funding within the BRICS countries• Will add an emerging market lens in overall credit evaluation to

facilitate flow of funds to markets• Will enable cross-border funding

Rasethaba says the initial conclusion is that the BRICS Rating Agency will initially offer ratings on foreign currency bonds issued by BRICS entities, foreign currency loans extended by multilaterals and development banks to projects in BRICS.

“Gradually, it will engage with banks and financial institutions to evaluate their foreign currency loans given to cross-border projects or for expansion in emerging markets. Over time, the BRICS RA will expand its operations to emerging markets outside of the BRICS, and add ratings of securitisation instruments of financial institutions, mutual funds, municipal bonds and claims-paying ability of insurance companies. It will encourage the development of a common bond market for BRICS which will benefit all member countries,” he says.

Musa Ndlangamandla

E N E R G Y & R E N E WA B L E SM

ESMERIZING W

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Zhang Quanli

With the understanding that unreliable supply of electricity to industries and other commercial activities can be a barrier to investment and economic growth, BRICS economies have had to rethink their strategies on power generation.

Energy efficiency has been high on the agenda of the BRICS group of countries, comprised of Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa.

Brian Dames, the Chairperson of the Working Group on Energy in BRICS, has observed that globally, energy planning must balance three key factors, affordability, security of supply and environmental impact, commonly known as the Energy Trilemma.

“Africa is poised on a growth trajectory,

driven by greater urbanization and rising populations and therefore needs energy solutions with positive benefits in all three areas to drive economic growth and allow its people access to affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable electricity.

“Africa still faces a number of challenges and one of these is that a large proportion of the population, more than 600 million people, do not have access to modern energy services. In addition, intermittent and unreliable supply to catalyse industrial and other economic activities can be a barrier to investment in some cases,” Dames said.

The BRICS nations have always supported cooperation on energy since 2009. A joint statement made after the first 2009 Summit stated clearly that the bloc supported the “diversification

of energy resources and supply, the security of energy transit routes; the creation of new energy investments and of new energy infrastructure, including the linkage between energy producers, consumers and transit states.

After South Africa became a member, in 2010, the Delhi Declaration, issued by India during the fourth Summit, in 2012, emphasized ‘multilateral energy cooperation within BRICS framework’.

On the road to implementation of the BRICS aspirations and policies on energy, some vital aspects have begged for attention - affordability and environmentally friendly production of electricity.

Dames said cooperation in research and development was critical, with a specific focus on the needs and requirements of

supply crucial for economic development

Energy

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member states in BRICS.He observed that new markets,

products and services needed to be identified and grown, using significant home and regional markets as the base from which to grow further.

“BRICS needs to focus on diversification of our economies, leveraging our regional markets, building infrastructure and ensuring food security in an increasly volatile global climate. There is a need therefore to play the “long game” to over time diversify the BRICS economies to a point where they are better able to withstand some of the shorter term challenges and focus on the implementation of projects,” he said.

Dames said some of the key energy issues that could be addressed as BRICS countries through research, innovation, engineering and focused collaboration included the following:• Energy affordability, including lowering

the costs of emerging technologies and energy-efficient technology solutions to reduce household energy bills;

• Decentralised electrification solutions to reach rural areas more efficiently;

• The reduction of the environmental impact of energy resource extraction, infrastructure development and operations;

• SMART technologies so that we can leapfrog current energy infrastructure requirements and constraints;

• New generation options that facilitate the optimal use of local energy resources;

• Storage technologies that facilitate the introduction of intermittent supply technologies, such as wind and solar, but that also improve overall power supply certainty; and

• Efficient transmission infrastructure to enable the evacuation of power to load centres across the continent and to encourage new investment.

Dames said the South African BRICS Business Council Energy and Green Economy Working Group had developed a work programme focused on optimising the opportunities for collaboration between Southern African companies, between BRICS countries and public-private partnerships in the Green Economy and Energy space, by determining the enablers,

Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) reports, participants reaffirmed their commitment to make progress on energy efficiency. They also pledged to conserve resources and implement the ‘Memorandum on Mutual Understanding in Energy Saving and Governmental Agencies of BRICS Responsible for Energy and Energy Efficiency,’ adopted at their first meeting held on 20 November 2015 in Moscow, Russian Federation.

IPEEC states that in their joint statement, BRICS energy ministers committed to, among other actions: improve efficiency in the use of natural resources; promote energy efficiency technology to reduce the use of fossil fuels; strengthen energy security cooperation through joint research on strategic reserves, renewable energy and energy efficiency; and develop investment opportunities for the New Development Bank (NDB), especially in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Of the BRICS states, India and China are showcasing achievements in energy efficiency as attested by two reports published by the Partnership between UN Environment (UNEP) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

India has launched numerous schemes for the transformation of cities and villages. The report identifies HIOs for the short-, medium- and long-term that support sustainable energy for all (SE4ALL) targets in several sectors. The selected High Impact Opportunities (HIOs) include: energy efficient pumps for agriculture; LED lighting, advanced cooling systems and cleaner cooking, for the residential sector; and super-critical coal-fired power plants, renewable energy sources, storage facilities and smart grids, for the energy sector.

Meanwhile, China has stated that the study identifies 16 technical and 10 structural HIOs in different sectors, including: waste energy recovery, in the industrial sector; improving fuel economy and introducing electric vehicles in the transportation sector; and co-generation technology and substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, in the energy sector.

Timothy Simelane

barriers and required levers. Among its objectives will be to establish

a baseline of the Energy Markets in BRICS countries to determine centres of excellence in BRICS countries. There will also be a strategic focus on establishing a list of South African projects in the green economy and energy space.

BRICS has proved that cooperation works for the attainment of clean energy as showcased in the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. The first meeting of BRICS Working Group on Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency held in Vishakhapatnam, India (July 4-5, 2016.), member countries agreed to cooperate in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency through joint research, technology transfer; conferences and best practices.

China convened the second meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Energy in Beijing on June 5, 2017. As the International Partnership for

THERE WILL ALSO BE A STRATEGIC FOCUS

ON ESTABLISHING A LIST OF SOUTH

AFRICAN PROJECTS IN THE GREEN

ECONOMY AND ENERGY SPACE

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A R T S & C U LT U R E

Giving hope, and enhancing

cultural ties


A R T S & C U LT U R EDriving on the M1 freeway in Johannesburg, South Africa towards Lawley, an enclave that was one of the hotspots of the struggle against apartheid, is a journey of contrasts.

One passes through the bustling township of Soweto on the right and the middle class suburb of Mondeor with its glitzy shopping malls to the left. Located on the South West of Johannesburg, the township of Lawley is home to over 30 000 people, one of whom is Majesty Mnyandu, a 33 year old performing artist whose artistic journey started at the tender age of 11, when he was still at school in Umkhazini on the south coast of KwaZulu Natal.

He was given the name Majesty by his grandfather Cijimpi Mnyandu who saw him as different to his peers owing to his gangly and majestic walk.

Dubbed “the mad man of the stage,” Majesty is a renowned storyteller who fuses his narration with dance, music and animated talk. He is also a poet, filmmaker and actor and has appeared in South Africa’s most watched television series, Generations: The Legacy.

He contends that just like the scenery on the journey from Johannesburg to Lawley, South Africa is a country of contrasts when it comes to in the performing arts. While on the one side, some artists are holding down more than one gig, others like himself are not so lucky. However, the BRICS platform gives him immense hope for the future and his eyes light up when he speaks about the endless opportunities that this association of nations presents to artists from across the five member countries.

BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, comprising 43% of the world population, “South Africa’s membership in BRICS has given me hope that as South African artists, we will be afforded an opportunity to reach a wider audience and enhance opportunities for us

to showcase our talents on a global stage. The cooperation between BRICS countries has the potential to encourage collaborative efforts between artists from the five countries and this can only bode well for us artists as we can interact with each other and exchange ideas,” he says.

Majesty is one of many South African artists who believes that their country’s membership of BRICS is going to be of great benefit to them. Membership in BRICS has enhanced South Africa’s stature in the world and opened up the country to a massive market of over 3 billion people, representing over 40% of the world population. The five nations have a combined nominal GDP of US$16.039 trillion, equivalent to approximately 20% of the gross world product and an estimated US$4


A R T S & C U LT U R E

trillion in combined foreign reserves. Those are impressive figures and Majesty and his fellow artists who feel marginalised in their own countries are hoping to get a slice of that massive pie.

He is correct to be optimistic about the power of BRICS to enhance cooperation between artists from the five member countries. Already, a number of events have brought together artists from BRICS countries. One of these is the BRICS Film Festival which was first held at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex in New Delhi in 2016. A brainchild of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi the festival is aimed at showcasing cultures of the five member countries through films and celebrating excellence in cinema by honouring filmmakers, actors, producers and directors. It is also aimed at bringing harmony amongst the countries. The 2nd BRICS Film Festival was held in Chengdu, China from June 23 to 27 June 2017 and featured 30 films from the five member countries. The next BRICS Film Festival is scheduled to be held in South Africa in 2018.

One of the many positive outcomes of the BRICS Film Festival is the announcement that the Beijing Film Academy (BFA) which ranks among the top three film schools in the world, will offer 40 fully paid undergraduate and doctoral scholarships for budding filmmakers from the five BRICS countries. The BFA also promised to send and receive promising students for a month in partner film schools

for making joint production films which will be showcased at BRICS festivals.

Speaking to The Hindu, veteran Indian actor and filmmaker, Mohan Agashe said that if filmmaking in BRICS has to hit the next level, film makers would have to learn each other’s ‘language of emotion’. “Emotions are universal but expressions and communication of that emotion are determined by culture,” Agashe asserts.

He further proposed the setting up of a multidisciplinary BRICS center for film studies which will pull in experts from film, anthropological and psychological backgrounds to conduct studies. This, he explained, will yield rich understanding and appreciation of the deep culture of the five BRICS countries which can then be applied in the making of quality films.

Meanwhile China’s Zhou Dongyu also had good words for the platform that BRICS provides for artists and performers. She said that it offers a platform for industry insiders from different cultures to exchange ideas.

“Different cultures share the same language through artistic endeavors and this in turn, enhances cooperation between member states,” she added.

Cultural cooperation between BRICS member states is set to be enhanced further following the signing of an action plan on cultural cooperation. Aimed at encouraging national level institutions to enhance exchanges and mutual learning via exhibitions and

information sharing, the five year action plan, was signed by representatives from BRICS countries at the second meeting of Ministers of Culture that was hosted by China’s Ministry of Culture in Tianjin last month.

Meanwhile South Africa’s Minister of Culture, Nathi Mthethwa says there should be effective means of strengthening cultural ties within BRICS. He added that the arts, culture and heritage sector is important as it promotes dialogue and cooperation between countries which in turn builds trust and provides shared experiences.

Another feather in the BRICS cap is the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup™ by Brazil in 2014. Famous as much for its soccer prowess as its Samba Carnivals, Brazil produced a memorable soccer extravaganza that certainly lived up to expectations.

The world is now looking forward to the next FIFA Soccer World Cup™ which will again be hosted by another BRICS country, Russia. Considering that the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa, it means that in 2018, BRICS will have hosted the last three FIFA World Cups™, a certain cause for celebration within the bloc. Without a doubt, Russia will follow in the footsteps of both South Africa and Brazil and provide the world at large with a successful and memorable FIFA World Cup™.

Sipho Dube

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By Harry McCrackenIllustration by Max-o-Matic

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SHOOTING FOR THE STARSH O W Y O U T U B E P L A N S T O K E E P A D V E R T I S E R S H A P P Y W I T H O R I G I N A L S L I K E K E V I N H A R T ’ S N E W W H A T T H E F I T ? S H O W

“YouTube—that’s how I got my international fan base up.”

KEVIN HARTcomedian and actor

T O P S A W O M E N I N

B U S I N E S S 2 0 1 7

The movers and shakers succeeding at both

entrepreneurship and life

C O N N E C T I N G A C O N T I N E N T

Inside Africa’s fast cities getting ahead through

tech innovation

I T I S M O R E T H A N A M A G A Z I N E , I T ' S A M O V E M E N TThe Digital version of Fast Company South Africa is now available on Apple iPad and Android tablets


I N D U S T R I A L I S AT I O N

The African continent is reaping the benefits of greater participation in global economic industrialisation through South Africa’s membership of BRICS.

The end results being employment creation, trade and investment as well as poverty alleviation, BRICS member states have forged unity for the preservation of policy space to

promote industrial development.The recent annual meeting in Shanghai

of the Ministers of Trade of the BRICS countries reported that China imported products worth US$70.2 billion from BRICS countries in the first half of 2017, up 33.6 percent on year to year basis. It also states that last year intra-Brics exports amounted to the equivalent of US$40 trillion.

China accounted for 40%, India for 27%,

Russia for 16%, Brazil for 10%, and South Africa for 7%, the meeting reported in a statement.One of the important tools to achieving this has been to ensure that there is regular dialogue between the business communities of the BRICS nations and the respective governments.

For any industrial development strategy to be relevant to the global trends, it must be transformational. By and large, the primary objective for industrialisation must be to


S T R A P L I N E

bridge the social inclusion gap. An overarching task of BRICS has been to

prioritise job creation through industrialisation and to build a manufacturing base that will guarantee food security as well as information technology for member states.

The BRICS Business Council, which was formed to stimulate trade and investment among the BRICS countries is geared to the promotion of small and medium enterprises

(SMEs), with a specific focus on financial accessibility. Equally important has been the need to strengthen the interface between the governments and private sectors of the BRICS economies. This could be reason that a recent Joint Communiqué of BRICS called for the active participation of emerging market economies and developing countries in decision-making process of the financial institutions, in line with their relative weight in

the world economy.The uncertainties in the global economy

have, however posed a challenge to BRICS nations to create favourable environment for their growth, while building and upholding an open global economy. An equally daunting task is to combine efforts while opposing protectionism in any form, and promote the healthy development of economic globalisation.


I N D U S T R I A L I S AT I O N

BRICS Industry ministers met in China and adopted a seven point ‘Action Plan on Deepening Industrial Cooperation among BRICS Countries’. The plan notes the emergent industrial revolution featuring digitalisation, networking and intellectualisation as changing traditional production flows and business models, giving rise to new industrial forms.

T H E P L A N :• Strengthen industrial capacity

cooperation

• Strengthen coordination and match-making in industrial policies

• Promote cooperation in new industrial infrastructure

• Expand cooperation in technological development and innovation

• Deepen cooperation among SMEs

• Strengthen cooperation in standard areas

• Facilitate all-round cooperation in UNIDO

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

Meanwhile South Africa, which is considered Africa’s representative to BRICS, has mapped out industrialisation policies that transcend political and continental boundaries.

South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies has, in the ninth annual iteration of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), emphasised the need for prioritisation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution - based on digitisation, robotisation, the internet of things and big data capabilities.

Says Minister Davies: “In an already uncertain global environment, this will have further disruptive impacts on both developed and middle-income countries, affecting not only how things are done in the economy, but the whole future of manufacturing.”

The Social Progress Index (SPI) developed by the Social Progress Imperative, a non-profit organisation based in Washington has been used to measure social development within the BRICS countries. It rated Brazil at 70.89 much above all the BRICS member states. South Africa follows at 65.64, Russia 63.64, China 59.07 and India 53.06.

While promoting industrial development, the BRICS also has to be mindful of global restrictions on environmental protection. To this end, the BRICS Business Council has affirmed that it fully recognises the value of voluntary standards and technical regulations, in such aspects as protecting human, animal and plant health and life, preventing deceptive practices protecting the environment, facilitating production and trade, compliance, and protecting indigenous technologies, production methods and processes.

Taking into account that standardisation systems are not always keeping pace with disruptive technological changes boosting tectonic shifts at the existing markets, as well as emergence of new markets, BRICS countries are encouraged to coordinate new technological standards development, and merge efforts to promote jointly developed technological standards internationally.

One of the key deliverables outlined by the BRICS Business Council for the year 2016/17 has been to establish the International Alliance of Skills Development for BRICS Countries. This skills development aims to promote BRICS skills development and technology exchanges, build the international cooperation platform of skills development and vocational skills standards for Belt & Road and BRICS countries and solve the problems of international environment construction, such as skills training.

Timothy Simelane

ACTION-PILLARS

TO BOOST BRICS

INDUSTRIES

productivity improvementsand asset utilisation


A G R O - P R O C E S S I N G

BRICS strategies aimed at improving agriculture and agro-processing have succeeded in heralding a clear under-standing of the role that agriculture could play in economic development, a KPMG report found.

This concurs with the World Bank report stat-ing that GDP growth originating in agriculture has proven to be, on average, two to four times more effective in raising the incomes of the poor than growth generated in non-agricultur-al sectors.

The 5th Meeting of Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation of the BRICS Dialogue Forum, held on July 18, 2017 in Hangzhou, China approved a three-year action plan (2017-2020) for cooperation in innovation, which is widely seen as a giant leap for agriculture and agro processing.

The BRICS report on the promotion of innovation, technologies and ecosystem

services states: “According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) current investment in biotechnological research tends to be concentrated in the private sector and oriented towards agriculture in higher-income countries where there is purchasing power for its products. In view of the potential contribution of biotechnologies for increasing supply of the 4Fs (food, fuel, forests and fibre) and overcoming the challenge of the growing global demand, efforts should be made to ensure that BRICS members benefit more from biotechnological research.”

To demonstrate its commitment to agriculture and agro processing, the BRICS Business Council has incorporated agriculture into its all-important working groups. The Agribusiness Working Group serves as an advisory body to the meetings of the BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development on business sector priorities and concerns.

BRICS is also alive to the fact that initiatives aimed at improving agriculture and agro-processing will barely survive if the plight of smallholder farmers is ignored.

A KPMG report on the BRICS Corridor found that smallholder farmers battle high input costs as well as increased difficulty in accessing the market. This despite revelation that in Africa alone, small-holder farmers contribute 80% of the food needs of the continent.

BRICS member states comprising Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa have initiatives focused on small-holder farmers, which are particularly vulnerable to high input costs. These countries have a combined population of 3 billion that needs to be fed.

South Africa is one of the BRICS member states that has claimed early success in making agro-processing relevant to the smallholder farmer.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr

AGRO-BUSINESS SECURITY SECTORBRICS, PLUGS FOOD


A G R O - P R O C E S S I N G

Rob Davies says the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) has established the Agro-Processing Support Scheme (APSS) aimed at stimulating investment in the agro-processing sector.

“The agro-processing sector is an important labour-intensive sector prioritised in the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP). Given the importance of the sector for jobs and enterprise development, I am pleased to announce that we have set aside US$75 million to fund a sector-specific incentive for the agro-processing sector in this financial year. The incentive will support both brown and greenfield investments, encourage investment in up– and downstream support services, and for the expansion of infrastructure to be used by farmers and agro-processors,” said Minister Davies in a recent address in parliament.

South Africa is confident that the agro-processing incentive would make a positive difference by creating jobs and supporting

smallholder farmers, amongst others. “Last year we concluded the Economic

Partnership Agreement with the European Union with the aim of increasing market access for our agricultural produce such as seafood, wine, canned fruit and sugar. Also, our partnership with the BRICS is bearing fruit as we saw our export of apples to China growing by 70%,” said Minister Davies.

Agro-processing is the largest single subsector in manufacturing and has shown relatively rapid growth in sales and employment over the past 15 years. It is a major source of exports, especially fruit juice, as well as covering key wage goods and some industrial inputs. It supports important areas of job creation and self-employment both upstream, in agriculture and downstream, notably in retail and food services.

During the 7th Meeting of the BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Working Group (ACWG) in Nanjing, China on 15 June

2017 Chinese Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu, spoke highly of the achievements of BRICS agricultural cooperation and envisioned the landscape for world agricultural development.

He suggested that BRICS countries strengthen science and technology innovation, expand information sharing and boost trade and economic cooperation. He also called on the international community to work together to make agricultural trade fairer and more orderly, agricultural investment more convenient and efficient, and agricultural trade more coordinated and robust.

The BRICS leaders fully agreed with the minister and made their proposals for promoting BRICS agricultural cooperation and world agricultural development, vowing to deepen cooperation and seek common development among BRICS countries.

Timothy Simelane

SECURITY SECTORFUELS GROWTH IN


BRICS Changing the World One Tree at a TimeGrow-Trees, a social enterprise from India, is leading the way in promoting private, public partnerships to push BRICS’ vision for environmental sustainability.

BRICS is pulling out all the stops to encourage cooperation between governments, business, civil society and other partners to strengthen partnerships that seek to encourage environmental sustainability initiatives with a view to improving livelihoods.

BRICS understands that in order for member states and the world at large to meet the goals of the sustainable development agenda, environmental protection remains the nexus for progress. Hence the calls for enhanced cooperation among social partners.

One organisation that has heeded

the call for more attention in this regard is Grow-Trees. Grow-Trees is a social enterprise that ensures that environmental sustainability is transformed from boardroom rhetoric to reality for the benefit of the environment and the people who inhabit the earth.

Grow-Trees is the official partner of the United Nations Environmental Programs’ Billion Tree’s Campaign and World Wide Fund’s (WWF) Cities for Forests Campaign. It has been recognised by, among others, the YPO (a global organisation of Chief Executives with 24 000 members) and Harvard Business School Alumni Bulletin. Grow- Trees’ aim is to

inculcate amongst companies and individuals the practice of planting trees in public lands. It uses the web to honour or greet someone by means of an e-TreeCertificate or eTreeCard with a personalised message. The unique certificate number allows one to see and locate the tree planting project location on Google Maps.

“Individuals plant trees for greeting friends, for festivals, New Year anniversaries and birthdays. Many companies are enhancing their green credentials and planting trees to engage with employees and recognise dealers. They also do this to honour customers and acknowledge dignitaries, achieving a private purpose while doing social good,” a statement from the organisation says.

Numerous studies have shown that green companies get better valuation in the markets. Such companies also attract and retain talent more easily, are able to enhance brand recognition trust and cement their reputation. Moreover, studies show that customers are willing to pay more for their products. Testimonials from customers confirm that the Grow-Trees certificate makes a very positive impression on recipients.

Over 2,230,000 trees have been


E N V I R O N M E N TA L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

planted so far, creating over 184,000 workdays of jobs for mainly tribal authorities and women in projects through Grow-Trees.

These entities include Trees for Tribals; Trees for Tigers; and Trees for Sloth Bears in places like Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary (Orissa), Madanapalle (A.P) and Chintamani (Karnataka) community lands, the periphery of tiger reserves at Kanha National Park (M.P.), Sariska (Rajasthan) and the Unesco World Heritage site of Sundarbans National Park.

The plantings are audited by accounting firms as well as through on site inspections.

These trees create rural jobs, provide flowers, fruit, fodder and fuel to communities and living creatures and offer shade to nomads and their livestock. They also give shelter to birds and animals, prevent soil erosion and flooding, improve water catchment, generate oxygen, remove pollution, reduce carbon in the atmosphere and fight climate change.

Meanwhile, India is one of the BRICS member countries that has committed to playing a leading role in the promotion of environmental sustainability programmes. In order to encourage the planting of trees by the country’s citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi planted a tree at his residence on World Environment Day.

Speaking at the same occasion, Modi called on people not only to plant trees but to take pride in the number of trees they plant, the same way that they take pride in their possessions.

With 1.2 billion people India has great potential to push for success in BRICS sustainability efforts. BRICS can leverage on such sphere of influence and intellectual capital in the response to environmental sustainability, climate change issues and environmental degradation such as pollution, water pollution, deforestation and natural disasters. Embracing the green economy is one step through which BRICS nations can take adventage of the potential for economic development.

The green economy is defined by cuts-international.org as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity whilst significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

TO EMBRACE THIS WOULD BENEFIT BRICS NATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:• Stimulate economic progress• Create new jobs whilst at the same time

reducing the risks of global threats such as climate change, loss of ecosystem services and water scarcity

In the short term “green economy” is able to provide GDP growth, increasing per capita income and employment at the same or even higher rates than the traditional “brown” economy.

In the medium to long term “green economy” will overtake “brown” and also result in much greater benefits for the environment and reduce social inequality.

POSSIBLE BRICS COOPERATION:• Common position on climate change

negotiations reflecting reality and SD approach

• Research, e.g. economic scenario of emissions reduction

• Exchange of experience between different stakeholders

• Technology cooperation• Concrete projects (carbon market-based–

mechanisms development).

Sipho Dube

‘GROW - TREES’ AIM IS TO

INCULCATE AMONGST COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS THE

PRACTICE OF PLANTING TREES IN

PUBLIC LANDS


I N N O VAT I O N

Over the past decade the science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape has evolved at supersonic speed with disruptive technologies taking centre stage in our daily lives.

In recent times there have been major breakthroughs in such areas as human sciences, medicine and advances in artificial intelligence (AI) with the attendant requirement to make it safe and beneficial to our societies. Indeed, technology continues to enable an unprecedented rise in creativity across the world and we must adopt modern technologies in order to stake our place in the fourth industrial revolution – the digital technology era which is changing the way the way we live, work and run our daily lives.

As BRICS member states we have committed ourselves to support tech innovation, research and development and the promotion of stronger partnerships for a brighter future. In that stead, cooperation in STI will have a crucial role to play to achieve the objective of the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China.

It is with that exact goal in mind that the BRICS ministers responsible for science, technology and innovation met in Hangzhou for our annual ministerial meeting on 18 July 2017. Convened by Minister Wan Gang of China under the theme: “Leading through Innovation and Deepening Cooperation”, the BRICS ministers recommitted to intensified STI, building on the solid foundation of an impressive range of existing programmes and initiatives, which have started to deliver promising results.

SECUREThe philosophy of sharing experience and expertise, and jointly investing resources to address shared global challenges, underpins the BRICS partnership in STI.The sustainable management of natural resources,

WITH NALEDI PANDOR(Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa)

BRICS MOVES TOWARDS STRONGER PARTNERSHIP FOR INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT


I N N O VAT I O N

especially water, the promotion of clean and secure energy, the fight against infectious diseases, and the development of effective disaster prevention strategies, thus, number among the themes of BRICS research and innovation programmes. In Hangzhou we also paid special attention in our deliberations to designing cooperation initiatives, which will support innovation-driven development, enabling robust, sustainable economic growth. These discussions resulted in the adoption of and commitment to a dedicated BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation.

The Plan will see a range of BRICS initiatives being implemented, for example related to joint platforms for technology transfer and translation, the development of science and technology parks, the promotion of youth innovation and entrepreneurship, and the fostering of industry-academia partnerships. Our vision is to create a vibrant BRICS ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship, which will benefit not only socio-economic development in the BRICS countries, but support the international effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. South Africa stands to benefit greatly from an enhanced BRICS innovation partnership and policy dialogue. We can for example learn from our partners how best to promote a national innovation culture across all spheres of government. We will also share best practices regarding the introduction of supply-side measures for innovation performance and the role of demand-side interventions to enable the so-called innovation pull, such as the leveraging of public procurement and support for small and medium enterprises.

GLOBALSouth Africa’s active leadership in several

of the BRICS science, technology and innovation programmes is much appreciated by our partners. For example, we lead the development of the BRICS science plan for astronomy leveraging due to our experience gained as one of the hosts of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) global project. Indeed, one of South Africa’s most renowned scientists and a pioneer of the SKA project, Dr Bernie Fanaroff, serves as one of the co-chairs of the BRICS working group on information and communication technology and high-performance computing.The working group is developing plans for an ambitious BRICS big data partnership, which will seek to harness advanced computing technologies and skills developed notably with regard to machine learning, for the benefit of society, in areas such as precision medicine.

Officials from the Department of Science and Technology and our National Research Foundation also provided precious thought and strategic leadership in the design and implementation of the first BRICS Framework Programme for the funding of collaborative research and innovation projects. It is testimony to the strong commitment of the BRICS partners to cooperation that in less than two years, research and innovation funding agencies from all the BRICS partners could agree to the rules of, and implement a multilateral funding programme. Following their successful evaluation, arrangements are currently being finalised for close to 30 research and innovation projects, to be funded under the Framework Programme. South African researchers and innovators will be participating in several of these, covering domains such as biotechnology, photonics or nanotechnology. Preparations are also far advanced for the Programme’s second call for proposals to be launched soon.

Our ministerial meeting was preceded by the second gathering of the BRICS Young Scientist Forum, an initiative especially close to my heart. This event annually brings together more than one hundred of the most promising young scientists from BRICS countries, working in multiple disciplines, to share experience, and most importantly to

foster friendships and to develop networks for future cooperation. Investment in people, especially young people, remains the most strategic investment we can make. I, thus, look forward to convene in 2018 under the South African BRICS Presidency, the third Young Scientist Forum. Indeed my Department, working closely with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology as the current BRICS President, have already started preparations for the science, technology and innovation programme of the South African Presidency, during which we will notably seek to advance the BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation adopted in Hangzhou.

International scientific cooperation, the pursuit of joint new knowledge generation and its application for global good, is an excellent vehicle for reinforcing solidarity and partnership across borders. It is, thus, also a precious asset for building a stronger BRICS partnership for a brighter future, to which our leaders will commit to in Xiamen.

WITH NALEDI PANDOR(Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa)

INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY

YOUNG PEOPLE, REMAINS THE

MOST STRATEGIC INVESTMENT WE

CAN MAKE

T O U R I S M

5 4 | B R I C S - B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E L Y

South Africa has seen significant growth in the tourism industry, with rates at twice the global average ever since the country became a member of BRICS.

By 2016, tourism in South Africa contributed about US$10 billion to the national economy.

The positive developments were, to a large extent, attributed to the relaxation of the visa regulations that required an in-person visit for biometric data to South African consulates for visitors from non-visa exempt countries such as China, Russia and India in 2015.

South Africa has also played an integral part in rolling out the necessary infrastructure that inspires tourism. These developments have also been attributed to the reforms implemented by Tourism South

BRICS BOOST FOR TOURISM INAfrica, a government agency responsible for nurturing the country’s tourism sector.

Chief Executive officer of Tourism South Africa, Sisa Ntshona believes tourism is a necessary alternative to the decline in commodities in Africa.

“Like many African nations SA relies on national resources such as minerals for economic sustenance. The fall in commodity prices presented a challenge to look for alternative resources to sustain economies and tourism emerged as an essential asset.”

Ntshona says SA is on the right path to place the country on the top 20 list of global tourist destinations by 2020.

He says in 2015 South Africa recorded 10 million visitors, a 13 percent impressive improvement from previous records.

“Globally there are about 1.2 billion tourists annually. Now, with our ten million, we are still at about one percent of market share in tourism, but we want this number to grow significantly, which is why we have set for ourselves a target to increase tourism by 4 million visitors within the next five years,” Ntshona says.

He adds that the other BRICS countries, which are Brazil, Russia, India and China have contributed to the growth of tourism in SA.

Ntshona says tourism numbers from Brazil grew by a remarkable 140 percent.

He attributes this to the introduction of a direct airline from Sau Paulo to Johannesburg as well as the visa free regime between Brazil and South Africa.

Ntshona says though there is currently no direct airline between Russia and South Africa,

T O U R I S M

B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E L Y - B R I C S | 5 5

BRICS BOOST FOR TOURISM INthe visa free regime will help stimulate visits between the two countries.

“South Africa recently won an award in India for being a No 1 adventure destination. However, we still need to conclude the free visa regime talks with India,” Ntshona says.

Figures from Tourism SA indicate that Indian leisure visitor numbers to South Africa surged 21.7% during 2016 to close at an arrivals figure of 95,377 and 8th position among South Africa’s international source markets. This is vis-à-vis 78,385 arrivals in 2015. The year 2016 also saw the overall spend from India (only in-country on-tour spends excluding flights and attractions, hotels booked in advance) crossed 1.2 billion ZAR by the year end.

South Africa is also targeting to host more than 100,000 Indian visitors in 2017.

Ntshona says taking stock of that China is the no 1 source of market in the world, South Africa is actively positioning itself as a tourist destination in China.

“We want to have visa free regime between China and SA, and to have visa issuance upon arrival. On another note we are speaking to a bank for the introduction of credit cards in China that can also be used in South Africa.”

Ntshona says South Africa is introducing new players in the tourism sector to broaden the country tourist base.

He says though the traditional tourism attractions are beaches, adventure sites and safari destinations, there are programmes to introduce many others that may include township tourism, heritage, rural tourism and science & technology.

Ntshona says tourism in South Africa has helped to generate 700 000 sustainable jobs. He says with the current innovations, he is confident that by the year 2026, at least one million jobs will have been created by the industry.

“In the current industrial revolution, we feel that South Africa’s secret weapon is its people. When visitors journey to the country, they want to see our food, our culture and our people.”

He says it is for this reason that the Tourism SA wants every South African to play a role in promoting tourism.

“Even if you are just a police officer or custom official, you need to play a role to promote tourism. We all have a role to play in this industry,” Ntshona says.

Timothy Simelane

SOUTHAFRICA


T E C H N O L O G Y

Vaal University of Technology (VUT) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in South Africa are making headway in

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Worldwide, many chronic diseases can only be treated or cured through organ transplantation.Since the first successful heart transplant by Dr Christiaan Barnard and his laboratory assistant Hamilton Naki in South Africa, drawback in 1967, many thousands

of lives have been saved around the world and quality of life improved through an organ transplant. However, the is that there is a shortage of donor organs. Tissue engineering provides a solution to this shortage.

The Vaal University of Technology’s Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences co-hosted the 2nd International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (ICTERM) . This was in collaboration with Prof. Keolebogile Motaung of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Science at Tshwane University of Technology and Prof. Antonios Mikos of Rice University, Houston, Texas. Under the theme: “The future of regenerative medicine in Africa,” the conference brought together scientists and clinicians from all over the world, and served as a platform to launch the African Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (ATERMIS) in Africa. Hitherto there were TERMIS- Europe, TERMIS-Asia and TERMIS-USA.

WHAT IS TISSUE ENGINEERING?According to Prof. Reddi, who was Prof. Motaung’s supervisor at the University of California, USA he defined tissue engineering as the science of design and manufacturing of new tissues for the functional restoration of impaired organs and replacement of lost parts due to cancer, disease, and trauma. In layman’s term, this means the creation of human spare parts.

WHY DO HUMANS NEED SPARE PARTS?The medical field is in desperate need of a renewable source of cells and tissue for transplantation therapy. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have the potential to resolve the transplantation crisis caused by a shortage of organs and tissue donors.

OUTCOMESBesides showcasing VUT and the Vaal region to the world, ICTERM 2017 made a meaningful contribution to the existing knowledge base in this field and motivated talented young people to pursue the field of tissue engineering. Experts explored recent advances, challenges and breakthroughs.

WHY ATERMIS ?Many African countries are at war and are regularly threatened with economic hardships. War victims are often faced with severe physical disability due to bone fracture and tissue loss. Africa is yet to get therapeutic assurance for the replacement of wounded and ruptured tissues due to war, accidents and other environmental disasters. There is an imperative need for such establishments on the African continent so as to participate fully in the investigation of basic and applied questions of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Musa NdlangamandlaSource:http://www.vut.ac.za/icte-conference-2/

USING TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE HUMAN SPARE PARTS

Brand South Africa

Brand South Africa

Try South Africa. On a continent that is considered the world’s future for the next 20 years in terms of growth and demand, South Africa delivers world-class infrastructure and a sophisticated business environment. Come to Africa and choose the country that has been voted the top investment destination in Africa. Choose South Africa.

Go to www.southafrica.info

TOKYO, BERLIN OR SHANGHAI?

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