BRICS NEWS - The African Mirror

Mar

20

2026

From Simon’s Town to Shanghai: SAS Amatola’s historic port call signals a new chapter in South Africa-China maritime diplomacy

BRICS NEWS

WHEN the South African Navy frigate SAS Amatola glided into a naval port on China’s eastern seaboard on 15 March 2026, it carried with it the weight of eighteen years of diplomatic distance and a decade of deferred ambition. The vessel’s arrival in Shanghai, the first visit by any South African warship to this particular city, and only the second visit by a South African naval vessel to China since 2008, has been welcomed by Beijing as a practical affirmation of the two nations’ deepening strategic partnership. The five-day goodwill visit, which concludes on 20 March, features cross-deck exchanges, professional…

Mar

12

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Ramaphosa pledges to deepen BRICS ties in Brasília, citing Brazil’s solidarity in South Africa’s liberation struggle

BRICS NEWS

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa stood before the cameras at the Palácio do Planalto this week and did something South African presidents have rarely done in Brasília: he made it personal. Thanking Brazil for its solidarity during South Africa's liberation struggle, and invoking the 30th anniversary of the country's democratic Constitution, Ramaphosa reframed what might have been a routine state visit communiqué into something closer to a declaration of civilisational kinship - then pivoted sharply to the imperatives of trade, investment, and regional geopolitics. "We remain deeply grateful for the solidarity of the people of Brazil during our struggle for freedom," Ramaphosa…

Mar

12

2026

By VINCENT TAWIAH

China in Africa: investment and trade work well when there’s strong oversight, and badly when there isn’t

BRICS NEWS

CHINA’S economic footprint in Africa has grown fast over the last two decades. Across the continent, Chinese-backed mines, oilfields, railways and industrial zones have gone from being ambitious projects to central pillars of national development plans. This has been made possible by over US$181 billion in infrastructure loans and about US$50 billion in foreign direct investment. The China-Africa relationship is often portrayed as one of two things: either a threat to sovereignty or a development opportunity. But the findings in a recent paper suggest it’s not so simple. Foreign investment becomes harmful only when domestic institutions allow it to be.…

Mar

10

2026

By The African Mirror

Move Over, IMF: The real glue binding BRICS is a tiara, a sash, and 1,000 diamonds

BRICS NEWS

FOR years, Western analysts have puzzled over what, beyond a shared grievance with Washington and a fondness for summit communiqués, actually holds the BRICS bloc together. The grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - now expanded to a sprawling 17-country enterprise that takes in everyone from Bolivia to Vietnam - has always been an awkward acronym in search of a soul. This week, in the golden-domed city of Kazan on the banks of the Volga River, the soul was found. It was wearing a crown containing more than 1,000 diamonds and 500 pearls, and it went by…

Feb

24

2026

By The African Mirror

Fashion diplomacy, BRICS countries and South Asia

BRICS NEWS

FASHION is one of the most honest forms of diplomacy we have. Fabric tells you who we are, where we come from, and what we value. When I reflect on the textiles of India and Sri Lanka, I don’t see two separate stories – I see a shared language of the Global South, one that is increasingly relevant in platforms such as the BRICS Fashion Summit, Colombo Fashion Week, and Soweto Fashion Week. India: Textile power as cultural authority India’s textile legacy positions it naturally as a leader within the BRICS fashion conversation. Its fabrics are not only culturally rich;…

Feb

17

2026

By BRICS CORRESPONDENT

Russia’s Lavrov says BRICS can shape greater Eurasian partnership amid Western economic decline

BRICS NEWS

RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has outlined an ambitious vision for BRICS to play a central role in reshaping global economic architecture, arguing that the West's attempt to maintain dominance through sanctions and economic pressure is accelerating the shift toward multipolarity. In an exclusive interview with TV BRICS, Lavrov described the United States as "objectively losing its economic influence" while countries like China, India, and Brazil rise as new centres of power. He said the BRICS nations' combined GDP, adjusted for purchasing power, has already exceeded that of the G7. "The West is reluctant to relinquish its formerly dominant positions,"…

Feb

17

2026

By BRICS CORRESPONDENT

China’s zero-tariff gambit: Africa faces historic trade pivot as Beijing targets U.S. market share

BRICS NEWS

CHINA will grant duty-free access to 100% of tariff lines for imports from 53 African countries starting May 1, 2026, marking Beijing's most aggressive trade expansion yet as it pivots away from Western markets amid escalating U.S. tariff wars. The move - excluding only Eswatini due to its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan - positions Africa as a resource buffer and alternative export destination as President Trump's administration imposes tariffs up to 60% on select Chinese goods. The policy expands zero-tariff treatment beyond the 33 least-developed countries covered since December 2024 to encompass Africa's economic heavyweights, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya,…

Feb

07

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

China-South Africa trade pact signals deepening BRICS economic integration

BRICS NEWS

THE signing of the China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (CAEPA) between South Africa and China represents a tangible manifestation of BRICS countries leveraging their alliance to forge preferential economic relationships that bypass traditional Western-dominated trade architectures. SA Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao formalised the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity in Beijing, establishing a pathway for duty-free access to China's massive consumer market for South African exports while securing enhanced Chinese investment flows into Africa's most industrialised economy. BRICS Framework Enables Bilateral Preferences The agreement underscores how BRICS membership - which…

Feb

04

2026

By BRICS CORRESPONDENT

South African warship deploys to India for major naval exercise

BRICS NEWS

THE South African Navy frigate SAS AMATOLA has departed for India to participate in the 2026 International Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN, marking a significant step in South Africa's re-engagement with long-range naval operations. The deployment represents South Africa's commitment to maritime cooperation within the Indian Ocean Region, where BRICS nations China, India, and Russia maintain substantial naval interests. Exercise MILAN, hosted by the Indian Navy, assembles naval forces from multiple countries to enhance operational coordination and address common maritime security challenges, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and maritime safety. At a departure ceremony in Durban, the Chief of the…

Jan

30

2026

By RASIGAN MAHARAJH

Free the Mind, Free the Land

BRICS NEWS

UN General Assembly Resolution 1514: On the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was passed in 1960 with 89 countries voting in favour, none against, and nine abstentions (Australia, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, France, Portugal, Spain, Union of South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States), which included the major colonial powers and signalled the reluctance of the old order to relinquish control. That “Year of Africa”, 1960, witnessed 17 nations (Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Dahomey (Benin), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,…