South Africa ready for BRICS

Government ministers in South Africa have been deployed across the country in the build up to the summit of the world’s fastest growing emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS.A warm welcome to Durban for South Africa’s foreign minister. Her audience, a mix of local businesspeople, ambassadors, and politicians. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has come here to sell the benefits of BRICS - one of 8 roadshows staged across the country in recent weeks.Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said, "Our membership of BRICS provides us an opportunity to advance the 5 key priority areas that I’m sure by now we can sing by our hearts - education, health, rural development, security, and building a developmental economy that creates decent jobs for all."And playing host, it’s argued, can only help something Durban knows well. The World Cup left a visible legacy. The UN Climate Conference, too, boosted profile. At City Hall, organisers are hoping bringing BRICS leaders here could prove the most beneficial of all.Eric Apelgren, Ethekwini Municipality, said, "We believe that the BRICS conference - the minds, and the views and the financial sources that are going to come - I believe is going to fast-track a lot of the projects here: port development, green energy, public transport infrastructure, and housing - we have a huge housing backlog. We believe that the technologies that are being experimented in other BRICS countries, and the financial models of those will benefit us enormously."Efforts abound in recent weeks, then, to raise awareness city-wide. 300 banners now line the streets. And even local vendors are encouraged to get involved, by hand-crafting BRICS products. Though every potential customer we spoke to seemed a little confused.Guy Henderson said, "Ask most South Africans about this city’s big successes in recent years and they might mention the fact that it’s hosted the World Cup - or, for the more business minded, the fact that it’s home to the busiest port on the African continent. It is now on the cusp of hosting an event which could have far-reaching, long-term benefits. And yet not many people seem to have even heard of it.