Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula has underscored the group’s growing appeal for countries seeking to escape reliance on external systems
The founder and CEO of GSQ Media House, Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula © RT / RT The BRICS group is emerging as a powerful alternative for countries seeking to reduce their dependency on Western structures, Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula, founder and CEO of Global South Queens (GSQ) Media House, has told RT. Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow, which was held on October 17-18, Mantula highlighted the organization’s capacity to counter the influence of Western narratives, financial systems, and the impact of sanctions. “Now that we’ve seen sanctions being imposed on certain countries, we’ve seen the biasness of some of these international bodies, the BRICS has become a solution,” Mantula noted, reflecting on how the group, which began with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has grown into a significant platform for cooperation. She pointed out that countries are drawn to BRICS because of its inclusive approach to diversity and mutual respect, both economically and culturally.
Mantula emphasized that BRICS offers its members an opportunity to operate independently of Western structures, making them more resilient to potential sanctions. “Within the BRICS countries we are having a bigger population, more natural resources and if we learn to work independently outside of the Western systems, even the sanctions won’t harm us,” she explained. Mantula also referenced a speech by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the forum’s plenary, where he spoke of sanctions imposed on certain countries. “Any one of our countries can be sanctioned next,” Mantula stated, underscoring the potential of BRICS to offer a united front against Western pressures. Nompumelelo Mpofu, CEO of South Africa’s SOC Limited, echoed those sentiments. She emphasized that BRICS enables nations to follow their own paths, free from external pressures. “We are here, we arrived here, with or without the sanctions,” Mpofu stated, underscoring the importance of national sovereignty within the BRICS framework. “The one important issue in South Africa we believe in is to pursue our own national interests,” she concluded. READ MORE: What does BRICS expansion mean for Africa? BRICS was originally founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Two additional African states, Ethiopia and Egypt, joined in January 2024, along with Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to ratify its membership after being invited to join. Russia currently chairs the group. More than 30 nations, including NATO member Türkiye, have applied to join.
