Post BRICS Summit, India-South Africa ties to deepen further, say Indian diaspora members in Johannesburg
Aug 21, 2023
Johannesburg [South Africa], August 21 : On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to South Africa for the 15th BRICS Summit, the Indian diaspora members on Monday hailed the ties between the two nations and said that India-South Africa relationship will deepen further after the summit.
Speaking to ANI regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to the nation, the founding member and Director of the first Gurdwara Saheb in South Africa, Harbinder Singh Sethi said, "We are very happy that PM Modi is coming to South Africa. We expect the relationship between India and South Africa to deepen after this BRICS Summit."
He further added by saying: "We wish that PM Modi should encourage big Indian companies to come to Africa and employ locals in big numbers so that unemployment decreases. This way both the nations can grow together..."
Meanwhile expressing happiness over the upcoming visit of PM Modi to Johannesburg, another diaspora member, Sanju Tripathi said that everyone is waiting eagerly for the Prime Minister to arrive.
Speaking further, Tripathi, who is involved in Ayurveda Business in South Africa, told ANI, "We are all waiting for PM Modi. I want PM Modi to encourage BRICS countries to promote the use of Ayurveda. I also want people who have knowledge of Ayurveda to visit here and raise awareness in South Africa. I have a demand from PM Modi to start a direct flight from India to South Africa..."
South Africa became Chair of BRICS on January 1 under the theme: "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism." Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BRICS 15th Summit at the invitation of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
This year's BRICS is under the presidency of South Africa and is organising the first face-to-face summit since 2019 in Johannesburg from August 22-24.