South African should use its inclusion in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) grouping to provide foreign direct investment links to its continental counterparts, Zimbabwe Deputy Prime Minister Guseni Oliver Mutambara said on Wednesday.

“We must ensure that South Africa’s inclusion in Brics is to the advantage of the entire continent and should improve the Brics’ countries accessibility to local markets. South Africa’s success is Zimbabwe’s success,” he told delegates at the yearly Zimbabwe High Level Investment Conference, held in Johannesburg.

Mutambara believed a paradigm shift in the manner in which African States approached intra- and extra-regional trade was required, with a return to a Pan African-centered State approach critical.

Central to this was South Africa providing a “hook into” Brics.

“We are not asking for charity, but for economics. The prosperity of Africa should be considered a shared vision rather than a national agenda,” he said, adding that when regions performed well, countries could compete better globally.

The South African government, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), had adopted a strategy aligned with the wider continent's strategy to achieve mutual economic growth through the facilitation of outward investment, added South African Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe.

“This strategy adheres to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development objectives and aims to mediate the historical marginalisation of the African continent. As such, we are constantly working with our African partners in encouraging national collaboration,” she commented.

In addition, Thabethe encouraged active investment by the South African private sector in neighbouring States, Zimbabwe in particular, which she believed would act as a catalyst for growth.

Addressing concerns around investment security in a country that had recently battled extensive civil, political and economic volatility, she added that mechanisms were in place to protect investment.

“Bilateral investment treaties are in place and are meant to ensure the protection of external investment in countries such as Zimbabwe,” she said.