JOHANNESBURG, 18 MARCH 2021 – The inaugural BRICS Manufacturing Conference, the brainchild of the BRICS Business Council’s Manufacturing Working Group, demonstrates that the working group takes seriously its mandate to promote trade and investment in the manufacturing sector among the member countries.
The conference, taking place on 26 March at the IDC Conference Centre in Sandton, is aimed at helping South African manufacturers take advantage of South Africa’s membership of BRICS for growth. Among the topics on the agenda is the relevance of the MWG itself, with BRICS MWG Chairman Kaizer Nyatsumba saying it is an important discussion to have as it will unpack the role the group plays in showcasing South African manufacturing.
He said the Government has long acknowledged manufacturing’s importance in addressing some of the challenges facing the country. While its contribution to economic growth has declined over the years, it remains the fourth largest contributor to GDP and, with innovation, the right Government intervention and access to new markets, manufacturing can boost job creation in the country.
“The MWG’s role is to facilitate trade and investment within the manufacturing sector among our BRICS counterparts. We do this by encouraging co-operation on projects where there is potential for collaboration across the five countries, and we do this by raising awareness about the opportunities that exist in BRICS markets,” Mr Nyatsumba said, adding that the BRICS Manufacturing Conference is an example of profiling the MWG’s work.
Mr Nyatsumba said he hopes that the conference will give local manufacturers the opportunity to nurture a lasting partnership with the MWG since the end goal is to enable the group to expose them to the BRICS platform.
