Two weeks before South Africa hosts the 4th Brics Youth Summit, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) on Monday said the conference which precedes the high-level 10th summit of the Brics bloc - which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is an opportunity to ensure young people play a part in the mainstream economies.

"The Brics Youth Summit presents us with an opportunity to further accelerate youth development in line with the National Development Plan Vision 2030, which articulates that the ICT will underpin the development of a dynamic and connected information society and a vibrant knowledge economy that is more inclusive and prosperous," Sifiso Mtsweni, NYDA executive chair, said as he addressed media in Pretoria.

"Our government will establish a 4th Industrial Revolution Commission to make recommendations on the immediate, medium, and long term priorities and goals for society as a whole, especially for young people. Furthermore, as government continues to roll out the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting transmission, the NYDA is also seized with coordinating a national strategy for young people to ensure they benefit from such an opportunity."

He said the Brics Youth Summit, to be convened under the theme “Radical Economic Transformation – Making the New Development Bank Work for the Youth”, also “crafts a paradigm that is mutually beneficial to all five nations”, by impacting on the lives of citizens. 

"Young people must come out in numbers to exchange ideas with other delegates from other nations. The NYDA will continue to explore these mutually beneficial cooperation ties with all our partners to ensure that young people’s lives are transformed for the better," said Mtsweni.

The youth summit takes place from 15 to 16 July in Bela Bela, Limpopo.

South Africa assumed the rotational chairship of the Brics from January 1 to December 31, 2018.