Earlier in the week, the Presidency said South Africa’s membership of the grouping - which also includes Brazil, Russia, India and China - enabled the country to employ additional and powerful tools in its fight to address the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality through increased trade, investment, tourism, capacity building, skills and technology transfers.

"These objectives are further realised through BRICS financial institutions like the New Development Bank and the Africa Regional Centre," it said, adding that South Africa had made concerted efforts to place the African continent on the BRICS agenda.

Ramaphosa is expected to highlight to BRICS partners South Africa’s priorities for chairing the African Union in 2020 and the commencement of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

The BRICS countries together represent about 42 percent of the global population, 23 percent of gross domestic product, 30 percent of the territory and 18 percent of the global trade. 

Due to both Ramaphosa and his deputy David Mabuza being out of the country on working visits, cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will be acting president until Friday.

African News Agency (ANA)