South Africa on Thursday called on young people from BRICS countries to deepen cooperation in innovation, research and cultural exchange, saying stronger people-to-people ties will be key to the bloc’s long-term influence.
Speaking at the fourth BRICS Youth Innovation Summit in Pretoria, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said the grouping’s future should not be defined only by trade or development finance, but also by intellectual collaboration, artistic exchange and shared knowledge.
“The strength of BRICS will never reside solely in trade agreements or development finance,” Chikunga said. “It will reside in the depth of the connection between the peoples of its member states.”
She said young people from the bloc should play a leading role in shaping cooperation in research, enterprise, indigenous knowledge systems, art and culture, arguing that these areas are essential for building durable solidarity among member states.
BRICS, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has increasingly sought to present itself as a platform for emerging economies to cooperate not only on economic and geopolitical issues, but also on education, science, technology and social development.
Addressing delegates at the summit, Chikunga stressed that people-to-people relations, academic mobility, artistic collaboration and shared intellectual production should be seen as part of the bloc’s long-term infrastructure.
She also urged young innovators and researchers to engage more actively in debates around artificial intelligence, saying BRICS countries must not remain passive consumers of foreign technologies.
Instead, she said, they should help shape global AI governance, strengthen indigenous technological capabilities and ensure that citizen data is protected in an increasingly digital world.
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“The future of BRICS countries will be written by those who think most clearly, not by those who shout the loudest,” she said.
Her remarks come as BRICS countries continue to expand cooperation in digital transformation, industrial policy and education, while also seeking to amplify the voice of the Global South in international institutions.
Analysts say youth engagement is becoming a more prominent pillar of the bloc’s soft-power agenda, particularly as member states try to foster innovation ecosystems and develop homegrown solutions to challenges in health, education, energy and digital infrastructure.
The summit in Pretoria brought together young leaders, innovators and researchers from across BRICS countries to discuss collaboration in science, entrepreneurship, technology and cultural exchange.
The event was organized by the South African BRICS Youth Association, a non-governmental organization, in partnership with Tshwane University of Technology.
South African officials have increasingly emphasized the role of youth in strengthening the country’s ties within BRICS, particularly as Pretoria seeks to position itself as a hub for innovation and continental cooperation.
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Observers say calls for deeper research and cultural collaboration also reflect a broader effort by BRICS members to build influence beyond traditional diplomacy and commerce.
For South Africa, Thursday’s message was clear: the bloc’s future will depend not only on state-to-state agreements, but also on whether its younger generation can forge lasting connections through knowledge, creativity and innovation.
