South Africa, as rotating chair of #BRICS, is gearing up to host the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in #Johannesburg on 22-24 August 2023, under the theme: “BRICS and #AFRICA: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism.”

There is no overstating the importance of the high-profile event that will bring together the world's leading developing economies, collectively known as BRICS - an acronym for #Brazil ??, #Russia ??, #India ??, #China ??, and #SouthAfrica ??. The first in-person #BRICSsummit since the #COVID19pandemic comes as the member states have been expanding their political clout and increasing their share in global #GDP, outperforming the #G7. Furthermore, the rise of BRICS has been demonstrating the possibility of a power shift from the Global North to South, with the bloc heralding the decline of the #UnitedStates as a unipolar superpower.

Which Countries Are Participating in BRICS 2023?

The heads of state or heads of government of the five member states - will be attending the #BRICS2023 Summit this year. Accordingly, on the list are President #CyrilRamaphosa of South Africa, who took up the rotating chair-ship of the group in January, China’s President #XiJinping, Brazil’s President #LuladaSilva, and Indian Prime Minister #NarendraModi. Russian President #VladimirPutin will not be attending the gathering in person, but is expected to participate in the summit via video link.

The online speech of the Russian President is expected to take place on August 23, according to Anil Sooklal, South Africa's BRICS envoy.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be heading the country's delegation at the Summit.

BRICS 2023 Guests

President Ramaphosa has "invited (with consensus support from his fellow BRICS Leaders) sixty-seven (67) Leaders from #AFRICA and the global South to attend the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogues. The Leaders cover all the continents and regions of the global South," South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said earlier in August. Another 20 representatives of international organizations have also been invited, the minister said.

"The President has also invited twenty (20) dignitaries that include the Secretary-General of the #UnitedNations, the Chairperson of the #AfricanUnionCommission, the President of the #NewDevelopmentBank, the Chairs and Executive Heads of African Regional Economic Communities, African financial institutions, and the Secretary General of the #AfricanContinentalFreeTradeArea Secretariat and #CEO of the #AfricanUnionDevelopmentAgency," the statement said.

Currently, 41 countries have confirmed their participation, with more expected, according to Anil Sooklal.