Does SA’s Brics membership actually benefit its citizens?

Brics is one of South Africa’s most significant platforms for advancing its global economic interests.

It provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships across the global south, attract investment, expand trade and position SA businesses within emerging economic networks.

But the true measure of diplomatic success is not only the prominence of the platforms we occupy, but the extent to which those platforms translate into meaningful economic opportunities for citizens.

For millions of South Africans, particularly young people, entrepreneurs and skilled graduates, the pressing question is not how many international forums the country attends, but whether those engagements create pathways to employment, enterprise growth and economic inclusion.

A nation’s international reputation and its domestic economic reality cannot exist as separate conversations.

South Africa’s growing role within Brics is strategically important. The platform provides opportunities to deepen economic relationships, strengthen south-south cooperation and create new avenues for investment and trade.

However, international recognition must be connected to domestic priorities.

For many South Africans, including young people with advanced qualifications, the economy remains a landscape of uncertainty.

The country has invested in producing skilled graduates, yet too many continue to search for meaningful opportunities.

This is why the success of international engagements must also be measured by whether they contribute to expanding economic opportunity.

Small and medium enterprises are central to this challenge. They represent potential sources of employment, innovation and community renewal.

When public representatives participate in international economic engagements, the expectation is not that every meeting will immediately transform the economy.

International relationships require patience, negotiation and implementation.

However, democratic accountability requires that such engagements produce a clear public record: the objectives pursued, partnerships established, commitments secured and the practical pathway through which benefits will reach South African businesses.

The question is therefore not whether South Africa should participate in global forums.

It is whether these platforms become instruments of economic advancement, or remain moments of international visibility without sufficient domestic impact.

For entrepreneurs facing financing constraints, limited market access and operational challenges, the value of global diplomacy must be reflected in tangible outcomes.

The Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme is an important government initiative designed to support enterprises operating in township and rural economies.

Its objective reflects a recognition that economic inclusion requires deliberate support for entrepreneurs who have historically faced barriers to finance, markets and business development opportunities.

However, the challenge facing SA is not only the creation of programmes.

It is ensuring that these instruments are coordinated effectively, accessible to intended beneficiaries and capable of producing measurable impact.

SA does not face a choice between global engagement and domestic priorities.

It requires both.

SA’s credibility will not only be determined by the strength of its diplomacy, but by the ability of its institutions to translate diplomacy into opportunities for its people.