ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) is pleased to invite suitably qualified researchers and academics based at South Africa’s public Higher Education Institutions as well as research institutes to submit their applications for an expression of interest for the South African BRICS Think Tank (SABTT). ABOUT THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRICS THINK TANK The role of the SABTT is to act as a dynamic broker between the worlds of knowledge a...

Professor Ari Sitas’ term as South African BRICS Think Tank Council (SABTT) Chair has ended as he formally retired from his tenure as a Professor at the University of Cape Town. Prof Sitas has led the SABTT since 2015, and most notably during South Africa’s BRICS presidency in 2018, having provided exceptional leadership throughout. Prof Sitas will continue supporting the SABTT team and advising where possible in his capacity as Board chairperson of the National Institute for the Humanities and ...

A hearty congratulations to Prof Ari Sitas on being awarded the National Order of Mapungubwe. The Order of Mapungubwe is granted by the South African Presidency - presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa, for achievements in the international area which have served South Africa's interests. Prof Sitas is being celebrated as a social scientist and a sociologist. He gains this accolade based on his various community involvement since the 1980’s – as he partook in various policy framework initiat...

Interviews from the 10th BRICS Academic forum held at the Sandton International Convention Centre between the 28th - 31st of May 2018: Minister Naledi Pandor's interview with CNBC Prof. Sitas CNBC Power lunch interview Prof. Sitas interview with the SABC

On 25-26 June 2018, civil society organisations (CSOs) will host the Civil BRICS Summit ahead of the BRICS Summit at the offices of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences for a two-day meeting.   This is the culmination of several consultations that took place at a provincial level in South Africa. This included Gauteng (with participation from CSOs in Free State and Northern Cape), Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape (with participation of CSOs from all regions of the province i...

o4 June 2018 The Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, met on 4 June 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa. The Ministers reflected on the importance of this year marking a decade of BRICS Summits, as a testimony to the fortitude of BRICS cooperation and reiterated the commitment to implement the outcomes and consensus of past...

Cape Town -  Africa is set for a decade of "unbelievable growth and prosperity". This is according to Dr Iqbal Survé, chairman of the SA chapter of the BRICS Business Council, who will take up the annual rotating chairmanship of the overall BRICS Business Council (BBC) at the mid-term meeting which takes place in Shanghai, China, next week. The BRICS membership is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Survé said the mid-term meeting was very important, coming as ...

19 April 2018 - Public lecture on BRICS at the University of Limpopo The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has partnered with the University of Limpopo for a public lecture on South Africa’s hosting of the 10th BRICS Summit. Taking place under the theme: “BRICS in Africa: Collaboration, Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution”, the lecture is scheduled for Monday, 23 April 2018, and will be presented by Prof Anil Sooklal, Deput...

PRETORIA, 11 April 2018 - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will host the Customs Cooperation Meeting, which is a representation of the heads of customs authorities from BRICS member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa with a view to enhance relations and further improve co-operation and promote development among BRICS member countries.  The heads of customs administrations from BRICS member countries will meet in Durban from 18 to 19 April 2018. This meeting will ...