South Africa outlines health, security, and BRICS coordination priorities
South Africa announced multiple policy actions and commitments at the International Security Forum and BRICS coordination sessions, including a US$5 million pledge to the African Union CDC and support for an African vaccine manufacturing plant (Biovac).
Main announcement / actions: South Africa pledged US$5 million to the CDC to respond to the current Ebola outbreak and is driving a partnership to establish Africa’s first end-to-end, multi-vaccine production plant (Biovac) with planned production capacity up to 40 million doses annually and completion scheduled by 2028. The government also noted ongoing measures to review policies requiring digital platforms to disclose AI-generated content and to prohibit fake and misleading news about South Africa, and is provisioning a government Fact-Check capability.
Background and other details: The statement references the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JETP) which has attracted around 13.5 billion USD in international pledges for renewable manufacturing, grid and transmission upgrades and skills development; it also warns of threats to digital infrastructure, noting Iran plans to target and disrupt fibre-optic subsea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, with potential impacts on companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon.
Event/session details:
- Tuesday, 26 May 2026 — 14H00-15H30: “Power of cooperation for the health of nations” (agenda: health cooperation, vaccine equity, pandemic preparedness, Biovac announcement, AI-enabled diagnostics, cross-border disease surveillance).
- Thursday, 28 May 2026 — 09h30-12H30: “Challenges and threats to international security in the context of the emergency of the multipolar world” (agenda: multipolarity, multilateralism, international law, human security).
- Thursday, 28 May 2026 — 12h30-14H00: “BRICS coordination on international issues” (agenda: BRICS coordination, Middle East crisis, food and energy security, Musa Plan, JETP).