On August 22, the BRICS circus rolled into town – into Johannesburg, to be exact – and was set to remain there for three days. That the city, named after two surveyors, Johann Friedrich Bernhard Rissik and Christiaan Johannes Joubert, in 1896 still exists is quite a mystery. Maybe the name eGoli (Zulu for ‘place of gold’) speaks of a time when there was still ‘Au’ – the Periodic Table’s symbol for gold. ‘Au’ is derived from the Latin word aurum, which means ‘glow’. So, is it fair to say that Johannesburg has lost its glow? But I digress.

“Roll up, Roll, up, The circus is in town, Grab your popcorn and take your seats, The Circus is here, It’s a real treat!” – The Circus Song goes.

As I did when the Boswell Wilkie Circus visited my town of yesteryear, I set about finding the BRICS poster. Where to start? Well, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, of course.

There I found two images for ‘BRICS Benefits to South Africa’, with the first captioned “South Africa is the beneficiary of 12 projects financed by the New Development Bank to the value of $5.4-billion. Five of these projects support the energy sector, with three . . . funding renewable-energy projects”. The second was captioned “BRICS countries are uniquely positioned to support South Africa’s energy recovery. Collectively, BRICS accounts for 48% of the world’s coal consumption, 22% of the world’s oil consumption and 13.5% of the world’s natural gas consumption”.

Then there were three smaller images for “XV BRICS Summit – BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism; August 22–24, 2023, Johannesburg, South Africa”. The first was captioned “South Africa benefits from being part of a collective voice striving to advance a world order based on mutual respect and equal sovereignty of nations”, the second “BRICS membership has strengthened our activism on the global stage, particularly around reform of multilateral institutions”, and the third “BRICS members see our different histories, cultures, religions, development paths and forms of governance as a rich resource of diverse knowledge and practice that inspire innovative and creative solutions to current challenges”.

In the media room, there was a media statement titled ‘Minister Patel inaugurates BRICS Business Forum’, which informed of the Minister’s having officially opened the BRICS Business Forum, which brought together 1 200 delegates from South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and several African nations. (South Africa should have been mentioned last to constitute the acronym BRICS, if you need reminding.)

In his speech, the Minister highlighted South Africa’s “remarkable achievements” in exports, which raked in R2-trillion in 2022, equivalent to nearly one-third of the country's gross domestic product. The Minister was silent on the export destinations and the nature of the exported goods. Interestingly, he emphasised the evolving global landscape, saying: “Today, the world is more polarised, climate change is more pressing, and the speed of technological innovation is increasing rapidly; these trends are, in turn, reshaping our economies and societies in more profound ways than many could project.” Why interesting? Did you spot ‘climate change’ and make the connection to the earlier reference: “Collectively, BRICS accounts for 48% of the world’s coal consumption, 22% of the world’s oil consumption and 13.5% of the world’s natural gas consumption”?

The Minister went on to stress that “business as usual is no longer an option”. If you need reminding, 5 673 days before, on February 8, 2008, the then President, Thabo Mbeki, introduced the term ‘business unusual’ in his State of the Nation address.

The Minister also drew attention to “the collective economic might of the BRICS nations, which together account for over a quarter of the world’s economic output”, but not to South Africa’s contribution, or rather the lack thereof.

At the summit, South Africa was at best the guest ringmaster, as it was not the main act or even a supporting act. South Africa should do well to know its place – in other words, to “behave suitably for one’s position, rank or status”.