Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire businessman and the inaugural chair of the BRICS Business Council, has appealed to African nations to contemplate the introduction of preferential visas designed to cater to entrepreneurs.
During an interview at the 15th BRICS Summit’s Business Forum, where eminent leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa congregated, Motsepe, who made history in 2008 at the age of 46 as the first Black African billionaire to grace Forbes’ list, emphasized the urgency of streamlining the visa application process for entrepreneurs.
Motsepe acknowledged governments’ legitimate reservations about safeguarding their sovereignty while concurrently fostering economic growth through entrepreneurial endeavors.
“We understand that there are legitimate concerns about making sure that governments maintain sovereign control of who comes in and who comes out. We don’t just agree with that, we support it as well, but as these are some low-hanging fruit, we can immediately give preferential access to businessmen from China, India, Brazil, and Russia, giving them visas that allow them to come in and look at opportunities in South Africa and on the continent,” he said.
This recent pronouncement by the South African billionaire, who amassed his $2.4-billion fortune from his mining conglomerate, African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), follows his prior call on African leaders and enterprises to cultivate robust and mutually beneficial partnerships with the BRICS nations.
Motsepe’s wake-up call came just before the commencement of the 15th BRICS Summit, a conclave uniting the leadership of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. He also underscored the flourishing trade relationships among these nations that have matured over the years.
Notably, Motsepe highlighted the surge in trade volume between South Africa and its fellow BRICS constituents, such as China, India, Russia, and Brazil. This surge has been attributed to the collective efforts and reciprocal associations fostered between these influential countries.
