The five BRICS economies will meet in Johannesburg from August 22-24 for a closed-door summit. The permanent members are expected to look into applications from at least 19 countries to join the bloc.
"Morocco… ruled out, from the outset, any favorable reaction to the South African invitation," a Moroccan Foreign Ministry official said in a statement.
The official reaffirmed the North African nation's commitment to maintaining "substantial and promising bilateral relations" with Brazil, Russia, India and China but insisted that it "never formally applied for membership of the BRICS group."
"Morocco remains committed to efficient, supportive and renewed multilateralism," the same official emphasized, while warning South Africa against using multilateral platforms to "encourage division."
Morocco and South Africa have been at odds over the kingdom's claim for disputed Western Sahara, which is challenged by the pro-independence Polisario Front. The region is designated as a "non-self-governing territory" by the United Nations.