Joint initiatives and interstate projects of entrepreneurs from the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Africa will receive media support in the BRICS+ countries. The Russia-South Africa Business Council and the TV BRICS International Media Network have signed a trilateral agreement on strategic cooperation. The signing ceremony was timed to coincide with the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow and the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan. The cooperation between the partners is aimed at establishing effective communication between the expert communities and business circles of the Russian Federation and South Africa. In particular, it concerns the investment and financial sphere, export-import activities, tourism and cultural interaction. Joint forums, conferences, round tables, business meetings, fairs and presentations are envisaged.

The agreements were cemented by Elias Monage, co-chairman of the South African part of the South Africa-Russia Business Council, Taras Shevchenko, executive director of the Russian part of the Russia-South Africa Business Council, and Ksenia Komissarova, Editor-in-Chief of the TV BRICS International Media Network.

“We now have trade with five countries that were at the origins of BRICS, not to mention new members such as the UAE, Egypt and Ethiopia, with whom we have done business before. South Africa represents, in fact, the entire continent of Africa, with a population of 1.3 billion people. Our region has established the so-called African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and we engage other African countries in dialogue with all BRICS members,” said Elias Monage. The Russia-South Africa Business Council was established in 2006. Its activities are aimed at promoting the strengthening and expansion of trade and economic, scientific, technical and other business relations and contacts between Russian and South African enterprises and companies.

“The work being done by the Russia-South Africa Business Council should be communicated to the public. People need to know and understand where they can go to build themselves into Russian-African business and what opportunities this cooperation offers. TV BRICS works not only in Africa, but all over the world. The media network creates and distributes very interesting content. Therefore, this is just the right platform to successfully popularise our activities,” believes Taras Shevchenko.

Elias Monage, co-chairman of the South African part of the Russia-South Africa Business Council, also heads the Black Business Council (BBC). Since 2003, this authoritative business association has been uniting South African companies owned by black entrepreneurs. On behalf of the BBC, Elias Monage has signed an additional agreement with TV BRICS, aimed at developing South Africa’s business relations with BRICS+ countries and cooperation in the field of mass communications. “We see the potential for developing relations with TV BRICS, so we have signed a separate cooperation agreement, implying media coverage of business and economic events related to the agenda of the BRICS member states,” Elias Monage said.

Photo: press service of Business Russia