Cabinet backs BRICS outcomes as China opens its cherry market to South Africa
The New Delhi summit advanced local currency transactions and New Development Bank infrastructure financing, while a Beijing protocol signed on 8 September gives South African cherry growers their first access to China.
Cabinet has welcomed the outcomes of the 18th BRICS Summit, saying the grouping reaffirmed its commitment to a more inclusive and representative international system and advanced cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure financing and sustainable development.
The summit was held in New Delhi, India, from 12 to 13 September 2026 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security”.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the meeting strengthened cooperation among BRICS members in areas critical to global economic development. Discussions advanced work on trade and investment, local currency transactions and cross-border payments, infrastructure financing through the New Development Bank, digital cooperation, climate resilience and food security.
For South Africa, Ntshavheni said the outcomes support the country’s objectives of accelerating industrialisation, expanding market access, attracting investment and promoting value addition to critical minerals.
“These priorities can strengthen local production, create opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, support job creation and ensure that greater value is derived from the country’s natural resources,” the Minister said.
Cabinet also welcomed the opening of the Chinese market to South African cherry producers, following the signing of a market access protocol between the two countries on 8 September 2026.
The protocol, which grants South African cherry producers access to China for the first time, was signed by Agriculture Minister Wille Aucamp and General Administration of Chinese Customs (GACC) Minister Sun Meijun during the ninth Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Ministerial Meeting in Beijing.
Ntshavheni said the agreement gives South African cherry producers access to one of the world’s largest cherry markets, creating opportunities to expand agricultural exports and attract investment in local production. China imported approximately 586 900 tonnes of cherries, valued at US$3.3 billion (about R52.8 billion), in 2025.
The Minister said the opening of the market is expected to stimulate investment in South Africa’s cherry industry and create approximately 600 new jobs.
“The development forms part of broader [government] efforts to expand South Africa’s agricultural exports and diversify international markets. It also coincides with the implementation of China’s zero tariff scheme for qualifying South African products, which came into effect on 1 May 2026,” Ntshavheni said.
This account is based on the government’s own summary of the briefing and the summit outcomes, published by SAnews, rather than the underlying summit declaration or the signed protocol text.
Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), BRICS Summit outcomes reaffirm commitment to inclusive global system, https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/brics-summit-outcomes-reaffirm-commitment-inclusive-global-system
