South Africa looks to collaborate with BRICS partners on vaccine tech, hydrogen economy

South Africa is keen on strengning collaboration with BRICS nations in field of vaccine manufacturing, hydrogen economy as well as marine sciences, a minister said.

“We are alrey working with World Health Organisation through South Africa’s hosting of mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub, but are also eager to work with BRICS partners, notably leveraging opportunities of our BRICS Vaccine R and D Centre,” Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ble Nzimande, said at 2023 BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial meeting hosted in coastal city of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).

minister said at meeting, one of several taking place ahe of 15th BRICS Summit later in August, that South Africa h me excellent progress in developing new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and was keen on joining forces with BRICS partners in this enterprise.

“Cooperation with partners in Global South and strengning multilateralism and solidarity through our BRICS science, technology and innovation partnership is, refore, a priority of highest order,” Nzimande said at meeting also attended by Dr SK Varshney, He of International Cooperation in Department of Science and Technology from India; Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russian Federation; Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China, and Inacio Arruda, Vice Minister of Science and Technology for Social Development from Federative Republic of Brazil.

He also shared South Africa’s Decal Plan, which proposes a new dedicated programme on innovation for a healthy South African population.

Nzimande quoted Nelson Mandela as he thanked or BRICS partners for ir support.

“President Nelson Mandela famously said: 're is little favourable to be said about poverty, but it was often an incubator of true friendship. Many people will appear to befriend you when you are wealthy, but precious few will do same when you are poor. If wealth is a magnet, poverty is a kind of repellent. Yet, poverty often brings out true generosity in or people'." “In this regard, South Africa will always be grateful for loyal and unwavering friendship and solidarity afforded to us by peoples of Brazil, Russia, India and China during our long struggle for freedom and subsequently your consistent support since 1994 for development of our country, and our ongoing fight against poverty, inequality and unemployment," minister said.

"We deeply value contribution of our cooperation in science and innovation to make South Africa a better country,” he said.

Nzimande said he was confident that BRICS partners would join South Africa in spirit of generosity that Mandela spoke about to develop science and innovation capacities across African continent.

“I would refore like to invite all BRICS partners to join forces with South Africa, wher bilaterally or multilaterally, in vancing Pan-African agenda for science and innovation, consistent with BRICS spirit of solidarity and our commitment to development.

“I believe that finding appropriate mechanisms for enabling cooperation and possible joint programmes between BRICS and African funders of research and innovation will be a strategic game-changer for science funding across Africa,” he said.

minister ded that South Africa plans to leave a lasting legacy of its chairmanship of BRICS in 2023 with several or initiatives besides ongoing support for instruments such as BRICS Framework Programme and various science and technology matic working groups.

“This will include organising in December 2023 occasion of our annual Science Forum South Africa, South Africa’s biggest public science event, a first BRICS Conference on Technology Foresight hosted by our National visory Council on Innovation," he ded.

“Secondly, we will be supporting technical exchanges to deepen BRICS cooperation in strategic area of indigenous knowledge systems, with a special focus on research, innovation and training for responsible use of natural medicine,” minister said.