South Africa has proposed involving BRICS nations Russia, India, and China in the large-scale renewal of Africa’s infrastructure to create a continental transport hub, a senior business leader said.
Elias Monage, president of the Black Business Council and chairman of the South African side of the Russia-South Africa Business Council, outlined the proposal during the TV BRICS programme “BRICS Dialogue”.
“If we are then to do a huge project, for example, on rail infrastructure, we can then bring the rest of the continent to participate in the rail development and infrastructure for the continent together with the partners within the BRICS countries,” Monage said. “Whether we then bring, for example, Russia rail, we then bring India, we then bring China.”
He noted that South Africa’s main priorities are logistics and the creation of a transport hub, which would allow goods to move freely between countries across the continent. Monage said South Africa’s geographical position in the south, combined with its developed infrastructure, enables it to facilitate the movement of goods to other parts of Africa.
Monage also identified the main challenges facing BRICS countries, including a lack of direct air connections within the bloc, such as flights between South Africa and Russia. He cited the absence of a unified platform for standardisation and regulatory frameworks, the lack of a common currency, and the absence of a shared tariff system and protocols.
“To trade different goods between countries, a common tariff classification system is needed,” he explained.
To address these challenges, Monage said BRICS countries should focus on complementarity, coordinated action, and cooperation rather than competition. With young populations across the member states, human capital is becoming an important advantage for the group, making education, professional training, and skills transfer key priorities, he said.
Detailing specific regional initiatives, the expert added: “We had a number of discussions, and we have shared lots of ideas with our counterparts in the continent. For example, Mozambique, where we had a mission from the South Africa and Russia delegation visiting Mozambique to look at specifically around the establishment of the assembly plant for the trucks.”
Discussions are also underway on creating an assembly plant jointly with a Russian vehicle manufacturer and one of South Africa’s state-owned enterprises. This would allow trucks and components based on Russian chassis to be assembled locally and then supplied to neighbouring countries. Additionally, South Africa is analysing the regulatory framework to establish exports of Russian poultry meat to South Africa and further across the continent.
Humanitarian cooperation is concurrently developing. Russian People’s Artist Igor Butman has visited South Africa for two consecutive years, performing at an international jazz festival, while South Africa has, in turn, sent artists to Sochi. The two countries are also developing partnerships in education and increasing the number of students sent to Russia.
Monage concluded that South Africa currently sees itself as a connecting link. The country is actively involving regional states in trade with Russia while building long-term cooperation in business, investment, and humanitarian fields.
