As the most developed economy on the African continent, what has been South Africa's involvement in BRICS since it became a full member of the group?

Since our admission to BRICS in 2011, South Africa has been a very active participant and contributor to all meetings and discussions within BRICS. We have now successfully integrated into the formation, including the various BRICS Sub-Committees and Mechanisms and will continue to provide ideas and direction to future BRICS-related events.

BRICS is a platform for dialogue and cooperation amongst countries that represent 43 percent of the world's population, for the promotion of peace, security and development in a multi-polar, inter-dependent and increasingly complex, globalizing world. Coming, as we do, from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, the transcontinental dimension of our interaction adds to its value and significance.

I have been following with interest a vibrant public discourse on South Africa's membership of BRICS, linked specifically to Goldman Sachs and the writings of its Asset Management Global Chairman, Mr. Jim O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill recently publicized an article entitled "South Africa's BRICS Score: Not All Doom and Gloom." He concluded this debate by saying, "South Africa could more than justify its presence [in BRICS] if it helped Africa to fulfill its remarkable potential."

He further said, "South Africa scored well for the cost of setting up business and for most of macroeconomic stability variables and also does reasonably well in some areas of governance and schooling. If South Africa could also help to lead the rest of the continent to reach its own standards where these are high, Africa would be on an accelerated path to greater economic might. By exploring cross-border expansion in trade and infrastructure, as well as improvements in domestic productivity, South Africa will have more than justified its role as a member of BRICS."

I can assure Mr. O'Neill that the objective to fulfill Africa's remarkable potential is at the forefront of our political and economic diplomacy.

There have been suggestions that because South Africa is the smallest of the BRICS nations in terms of population and GDP, it therefore may not deserve a place in this club of leading developing nations. How do you respond to this suggestion?

The rationale for South Africa's approach was in consideration of a matter of crucial importance to BRICS member states, namely the role of emerging economies in advancing the restructuring of the global political, economic and financial architecture into one that is more equitable, balanced and rests on the important pillar of multilateralism.

Those who constantly refer to this particular issue completely miss the point, namely, that BRICS is not all about size and numbers, but rather about ideas and ideology. BRICS is a response to the current global political and financial architecture which are dominated by certain players. South Africa has a proven record of contributing to the discourse of multilateralism and advocating for the rights of emerging economies.

Our approach to intensifying our relations with emerging powers and other countries of the South is, of course, through active and strong bilateral engagement. In addition, however, we also see the NAM and the G77 as important for South-South interaction, especially within the framework of the United Nations.

South Africa and BRICS member states already collaborated and will continue to collaborate closely in various international organizations and formations such as the United Nations, the G20 and the IBSA Dialogue Forum.

Among developing countries we are still the biggest investor on the African continent. This means that, although our economy is small in relation to other BRICS members, we have attributes that have positioned us well in the world and which will allow us to bring special insight into the work of BRICS.