New Delhi:Pretoria: The Cabinet has expressed approval for the outcomes of the 18th BRICS Summit, which emphasized the group's dedication to fostering a more inclusive and representative international system. The summit advanced cooperation in key areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure financing, and sustainable development.
According to South African Government News Agency, the summit, held in New Delhi, India, from September 12 to 13, 2026, under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security,' was noted by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni during a media briefing in Pretoria. She stated that the summit had reinforced collaboration among BRICS countries in areas vital to global economic progress.
The discussions at the summit focused on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, local currency transactions, cross-border payments, infrastructure financing through the New Development Bank, and initiatives for digital cooperation, climate resilience, and food security. For South Africa, the outcomes are particularly meaningful as they align with national goals of accelerating industrialization, expanding market access, and promoting the value addition of critical minerals.
Moreover, the Cabinet has welcomed the recent opening of the Chinese market to South African cherry producers, marked by a market access protocol signed on September 8, 2026. This agreement, finalized between Agriculture Minister Wille Aucamp and General Administration of Chinese Customs Minister Sun Meijun during the ninth Sanitary and Phytosanitary Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, grants South African cherries access to a major international market for the first time.
The Minister highlighted that this development would provide significant opportunities for expanding agricultural exports and attracting investment in local production. In 2025, China imported approximately 586,900 tonnes of cherries valued at US$3.3 billion. The new market access is expected to boost South Africa's cherry industry, creating around 600 new jobs.
This initiative is part of broader efforts by the government to expand agricultural exports and diversify international markets. It coincides with China's implementation of a zero tariff scheme for qualifying South African products, which began on May 1, 2026.