Trevor Tambo, whose business interests cover financial services, as well as the maritime, space and aviation sectors, emphasized the significance of South Africa hosting the 15th Summit of BRICS, which brings together five of the world's leading emerging economies, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
He highlighted that this milestone event positions his country as a
flagbearer for the entire African continent, consisting of 54 nations. Tambo reiterated the potential to eradicate poverty through robust collaborative efforts with BRICS partners in various fields.
Speaking on the potential for trade and exchange between the
BRICS and African countries, particularly with regard to the use of national currencies in trade settlements and the possible creation of a BRICS currency, Tambo acknowledged the growing interest in moving towards such innovative proposals.
While the African businessman eagerly awaits the outcome of the ongoing deliberations, he emphasized the strong "appetite" for progressing in this direction.
"It'll be very interesting what will be the outcome of all of those innovative propositions that we're making," Tambo said. "We'll see at the end of the reports what is the collaboration. But there's a huge appetite in terms of us moving to that direction."
The South African businessman also touched upon the unique expanded composition of the 15th BRICS Summit, to which more than 30 African leaders
have been invited.
Tambo expressed his expectations for the summit as an
opportunity for extensive cooperation and action-oriented discussions between African and BRICS leaders. He emphasized that this summit represents a significant shift towards concrete cooperation, as opposed to mere rhetoric.
Tambo noted that such collaboration is especially important for "us as emerging small and medium entrepreneurs because it's really rare to get this high caliber of capital industry." He added that they should "invest in opportunities."
Highlighting his keen interest in space exploration, Tambo discussed the potential for collaboration with Russia in this field. He acknowledged Russia's rich history in space exploration, harking back to when the USSR was the first country to land on the moon over a half a century ago.
Recognizing South Africa's current position as the only African nation with a space weather center, Tambo underscored the significant opportunities for the country in developing its own rockets and satellites. He expressed his desire to tap into this potential and leverage partnerships with nations like Brazil and Russia to unlock value in the space sector.
Addressing the issue of unilateral sanctions imposed on
Russia, Tambo expressed his belief that such measures do not significantly hinder entrepreneurs like himself.
While acknowledging the potential repercussions on a country-to-country basis, he emphasized that individuals within a nation can still engage in trade.
Commenting on the notion that Western countries use sanctions as a neocolonial tool to create obstacles, Tambo said, "I think we can talk about jealousy here. There's nothing to it." He stressed the need for Africans to work together for the collective development of the continent.
"If we don't stand up as a group, we're not going to unlock the potential for those in need, such as the homeless who require shelters," he stated.
Tambo expressed his admiration for Russia's successful efforts in improving its economy, notwithstanding the sanctions. He commended the country for recognizing the potential in Africa, which is rich in mineral resources that could be further utilized through enhanced processing capabilities.
"You understand that South Africa, Africa as well, we have all these minerals, but [we] don't do the processing and all that stuff. There is so much wealth here," he told Sputnik Africa.
Shifting the conversation to the emergence of the multipolar world, Tambo pointed to
Africa's pivotal role. With a population of approximately 1.6 billion across the continent, he viewed Africa as a new frontier with extensive potential.
He acknowledged the contributions of partners like Russia in fostering Africa's success, particularly thanks to cooperation with entrepreneurs from the Russian Federation.
Tambo expressed his desire to work together with various BRICS partners, including
China and Brazil, to capitalize on opportunities presented by this evolving multipolar world.