Written by Wandile Sihlobo, Chairperson of the Agribusiness Working Group in the BRICS Business Council (South Africa Chapter). He is also Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz).
This week, all roads lead to New Delhi, India, for the 18th BRICS summit on September 12-13, 2026.
There are various geopolitical and economic issues that will dominate political leaders’ agendas.
In preparation for the Summit, the organised business groupings of the BRICS countries also prepare various inputs to present to the political principals.
I participated in the South African Chapter, through the BRICS Business Council, where I chair the Agribusiness Working Group.
We reflected on several aspects throughout the year, including climate change challenges in agriculture, regenerative agriculture initiatives, food security, agricultural innovation and research cooperation, and international trade.
As South African agribusinesses, we have continued to champion deepening intra-BRICS trade. There is no disagreement amongst South African agribusinesses, commodity associations, and organised farming associations that the BRICS grouping has potential for export expansion. Thus, we have consistently pushed for a deeper conversation on this issue.
We view BRICS as a crucial market for agriculture and food products. The expanded BRICS grouping accounts for roughly half of the world’s agricultural imports.
Photo by Monojit Dutta on Pexels
Now, these BRICS partners, while major agricultural importers, do not source agricultural products from South Africa. The original BRICS countries, which are amongst the key importers, mainly India and China, account for less than 10% of South Africa’s agricultural exports. By comparison, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries account for roughly 20% of South Africa’s agricultural exports.
Clearly, the higher tariffs and phytosanitary barriers are the major challenges preventing deeper penetration of South African agricultural products in these BRICS markets.
Remarkably, some BRICS countries have far more favourable trade terms with non-BRICS countries, resulting in lower intra-BRICS agricultural trade.
The need to correct this trade misalignment is even more urgent with the expansion of the BRICS grouping. The new BRICS members mean that the grouping’s agricultural market is even broader, holding potential economic benefits for its members.
I must state clearly that BRICS is not a formal trade grouping. But as the grouping matures politically, deepening regional economic integration and trade is the most logical step towards expanding the group’s ambitions, particularly in agriculture. Another vital benefit of advancing agricultural trade is ensuring food security within the BRICS grouping.
Therefore, while a “BRICS comprehensive free trade agreement” would be a protracted process, in the near term, some form of trade area (PTA) that establishes preferential market access for agricultural products among countries, lowers import tariffs, and removes phytosanitary barriers is an urgent and appropriate policy step.
Brazil, South Africa, and Russia typically have large product surpluses that India and China, among others, import from the world market. Reducing import tariffs and various non-tariff barriers, or opening up tariff rate quotas for specific agricultural products, would help expand the level of ambition in a more meaningful way and initiate a process of progressively deepening trade among these countries.
Such a step would build on the courageous steps already taken by China. In May 2026, China lowered tariffs on goods from Africa under the “China–Africa Economic Partnership Agreement”. The BRICS countries can build on this courageous Chinese step, particularly India.
Over the years, the South African Agribusiness Working Group of the BRICS Business Council has focused on advancing exports in these regions. It is the recognition that more ambitious economic integration through trade is key to this group’s long-term sustainability.
Thus, South Africa has always argued for a BRICS agricultural trade partnership or agreement, or, at the very least, more active bilateral agreements that would boost BRICS intra-trade.
But we have not found the fertile eagerness for this path, and we remain focused on it. As we prepare to travel to New Delhi, India, next month, this will be the primary concern for South African agribusinesses.
This article first appeared on AgriView. Find it at here.
