South African High Commissioner to India, Professor Anil Sooklal, highlighted the significance of BRICS. He stressed that the grouping’s purpose is not to replace existing international bodies, but rather to secure the appropriate recognition and standing for countries of the Global South. 

BRICS, a political and diplomatic coordination forum, comprises eleven nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. This group functions as a platform for countries of the Global South to coordinate on a wide range of issues.

Sooklal, speaking to World is One News (WION), said BRICS began as an informal gathering of foreign ministers in 2006 and he thought it was appropriate that India was taking over the chairmanship at a critical time. 

“BRICS has become a powerful force in the global scenario. It is no longer a group that is trying to find its feet. It has firmly established itself. It’s a powerful group of countries,” Sooklal said.  

He said that in 2023, South Africa chaired BRICS and that over 40 countries have asked to become BRICS members. 

He explained that the global surge of countries seeking association with BRICS, and no other global grouping, has taken everyone by surprise, including partners from the Global North. This intense interest suggests that BRICS has been undertaking positive initiatives that have had a beneficial impact on the global community.

Sooklal said expanding was a difficult process.

“When a smaller group, such as the initial five countries, establishes effective mechanisms and a comfortable routine for cooperation, suddenly increasing the membership by another five nations—a 100% expansion, as occurred in 2023—makes the assimilation of new members far from straightforward.

“Fortunately, we are like-minded countries. The new members have been able to assimilate and consolidate, and BRICS hasn’t faltered. On the contrary, even with the new members and as we have seen in the past two summits in 2024 and 2025 under Russia and Brazil’s chairship and now India taking over, as I said, during a very challenging time,” Sooklal said. 

“I am confident one of the things that India did to the G20 was to elevate the G20 on the global platform, but also they were able to make the G20 a people’s G20. And I’m confident the same thing is going to happen in 2026 when you assume the chairmanship of BRICS because BRICS is becoming a powerful entity, and that’s why you find some of our friends from the Global North feeling threatened by the rise of BRICS.”

Sooklal described this as unfortunate as the intention of BRICSwas note to displace anyone.

“It is there to claim the rightful place of countries of the Global South that have been on the margins of the global geopolitical financial economic architecture, and yet a number of BRICS countries, India, Brazil, China, included, are even bigger economies than G7 economies today.” 

Sooklal said BRICS countries must have their rightful place around the high table. 

“It’s very unfortunate that certain countries jealously guard the space. But of course, you can’t hang on to the high table when the geopolitical scenario has changed so dramatically,” Sooklal said. 

“I think BRICS will continue to play a leading role in shaping the new multipolar order that is revolving before us. I would say BRICS will actually be at the forefront. We are seeing that already. The world is in need of leadership at the present time.” 

He added that the Global South will provide that leadership, and BRICS will be the vehicle that will charter that new cause that will be seen in terms of a more inclusive world order and a more just world order where no one is left behind. 

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za 

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