By Lebone Rodah Mosima
South Africa has endorsed the 12th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Declaration, adopted on 15 July 2026, which commits member states to strengthening social protection, expanding women’s participation in the workforce, improving skills development and employability, and harnessing digital technologies to support workers.
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya said at the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad, India, earlier this week that the declaration underscored the need to build labour markets that are inclusive, resilient and future-ready.
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“The priorities we have agreed upon are not just timely, they are essential,” Sibiya said.
“They speak directly to the lived realities of workers across the Global South.”
He identified five priorities contained in the declaration: expanding social protection, formalising labour markets, increasing women’s economic participation, improving employability through skills development, and using digital technologies to benefit all workers.
“These are the pillars of a just and dynamic future of work,” he said.
Sibiya described the ministers’ meeting as the highest political forum within the BRICS Labour and Employment Track, providing a platform to review the work of the Employment Working Group, exchange policy responses to labour market challenges, strengthen South-South cooperation and adopt the annual declaration.
He commended India’s BRICS Presidency, held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” saying its agenda aligned closely with South Africa’s development priorities.
“The four priority areas align seamlessly with South Africa’s national development goals, advancing decent work, reducing inequality and ensuring that economic transformation leaves no one behind,” he said.
Sibiya also welcomed the launch of BRICS CONNECT – the Cooperation Network for Capacity Building, Employability, New Skills and Technologies – describing it as a major milestone.
“This is a game-changer,” he said.
“It moves us beyond dialogue into delivery. It is a voluntary, practical framework for technical cooperation, knowledge exchange and institutional capacity building among member states.”
He called for continued collaboration with the International Labour Organization and other knowledge institutions to ensure BRICS labour cooperation remains evidence-based and responsive to the rapidly changing world of work.
Sibiya said the declaration set out a shared policy framework to advance decent work, inclusive labour markets, social justice and sustainable development, while formally endorsing BRICS CONNECT as a key mechanism for translating commitments into action.
He said South Africa’s participation reaffirmed its commitment to multilateral cooperation on labour and employment and to promoting a people-centred future of work across the Global South.
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“South Africa stands firm in its commitment to BRICS solidarity, South-South cooperation, and the shared goal of building labour markets that are more inclusive, productive and equitable,” he said.
“We look forward to working with all member states to implement these commitments for the benefit of our workers, our economies and our peoples.”
As part of his visit to India, Sibiya is touring Bosch Global Software Technologies in Hyderabad, a research and engineering hub established in 2022 that employs about 3,000 engineers.
The facility forms part of Bosch’s global engineering and digital innovation network, developing technologies for the company’s mobility, industrial technology, healthcare and energy businesses.
