BRICS Women’s Business Alliance representative emphasised that public-private collaboration will be key
BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) unveiled a new wave of initiatives aimed at empowering women in rural communities by connecting them to international markets. Through strategic partnerships with India and the Sultanate of Oman, WBA is helping female entrepreneurs move beyond local limitations and into the global agricultural economy.
Lebogang Zulu, Executive Chairperson of BRICS Women's Business Alliance (South Africa) in an interview for Umthala TV, a partner of TV BRICS, stated that India’s successful model of rural economic inclusion – including cooperative development and banking the unbanked – served as a case study for South African cooperatives. Indian representatives visited South Africa to share knowledge and explore collaboration opportunities with women-led agricultural groups.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from Oman expressed strong interest in sourcing fruits and vegetables from South African rural producers. In response, WBA facilitated direct engagement between Omani buyers and local women farmers. While quality standards need to be met, the partnership offers a significant boost – an offtake agreement that women can use to secure development funding and support for improving their operations.
"This is more than trade – it’s transformation. [...] We are not just empowering women economically, we are rewriting the narrative of what rural women can achieve," said a WBA representative.
Photo: iStock
-
![]()
Economy20.08.26Planet’s food factory: how Brazil is transforming global agricultural trade and trade within BRICS -
![]()
Economy20.08.26India leads global coconut production with 31.24% of world output -
![]()
Economy20.08.26Iran and Belarus move to deepen agricultural trade and joint investment -
![]()
Economy19.08.26Belarus’s Brest Region expands food exports by 26.7% -
![]()
Economy19.08.26Thailand seeks to boost Russia trade and deepen energy cooperation -
![]()
Economy19.08.26Kazakhstan produces 9,100 tonnes of tea and coffee as imports dominate domestic supply
-
![Dilma Rousseff]()
Dilma RousseffPresident of the New Development Bank"India’s BRICS Presidency this year gives special significance to our discussion. NDB stands ready to be a trusted partner in turning commitments on sustainability, clean energy, smart and resilient infrastructure into concrete results on the ground. […] For NDB, mobilising private capital is a strategic imperative. Created by the BRICS founding members, NDB is a bank of the Global South, for the Global South, mandated to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development" -
![Sihasak Phuangketkeow]()
Sihasak PhuangketkeowDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand"BRICS can play a very important role in maintaining the free flow of trade and investment. The group can also be a vehicle for all of us to engage and to look at economic opportunities"
