Former South African President Jacob Zuma has urged African countries, including Ghana, to consider joining the BRICS bloc as a strategic move to advance the continent’s development.

He argued that such a shift would enhance the sovereignty of African states by fostering closer collaboration, pooling resources, and collectively driving the economic transformation the continent urgently requires.

Mr. Zuma made the call on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, during the 2025 UPSA Annual Leadership Lecture, held under the theme “The geopolitics and geo-economics of de-dollarization: BRICS currency strategy, lessons for Africa’s common currency, and beyond.”

“The issue of BRICS is critical in changing the world. Since then, even the United Nations could not do anything about it, and it is not just the UN but also other countries.

…So, please, in my view, it is a path that Ghana needs to look at,” he said.

BRICS, an economic and political bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents over 40% of the world’s population and about a quarter of global GDP.

Established to strengthen cooperation among emerging economies and push for reforms in global governance, BRICS has created key institutions such as the New Development Bank to finance infrastructure and development projects.

The group has recently expanded its focus to include de-dollarization efforts and possible enlargement, with countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt expressing interest. While BRICS is seen as a counterbalance to Western-dominated alliances such as the G7, internal differences among members sometimes limit its cohesion.