“The paper argues that South Africa’s inclusion in the BRICS will strengthen the organisation, since it is a natural ally of the three developing country members of the grouping. This argument is justified on the basis of the engagement that South Africa, Brazil, China and India have had in several international forums, most importantly those concerning trade and climate change. In the on-going Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, these countries have been able to co-ordinate their positions in several critical areas, including agriculture, intellectual property rights and market access for non-agricultural products. The paper assesses the inclusion of South Africa in the BRICS Forum. It is divided into three sections. The first explores the possible raison d’être for the inclusion of South Africa in the group. This is a critical issue, for it provides an understanding of South Africa’s potential role, together with the other members, in global processes. The second section considers the areas in which the BRICS can make a difference to global economic governance. The final section provides concluding remarks.”
