In the wake of the 5th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in Durban next month, a country-wide road show has been launched in South Africa, with the aim of educating the people about the significance of the meet, as well as the country's membership of the BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Highlighting the importance of the forthcoming summit, Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said, in Johannesburg on Saturday, that the membership of BRICS grouping - which comprises approximately 43 percent of the world's population - will help South Africa address the challenges faced by the country, and also assist it in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

To promote the BRICS summit - which will take place on March 26 and March 27 -, a number of road shows have been organized by the government in different provinces; with Hanekom asserting that the BRICS members were also trying to do good to humanity and improve governance; thereby underscoring the fact that it is crucial that South Africa should be a part of shaping global development.

Noting that "BRICS membership is not an event but a movement," with long term achievements not being things that can be achieved overnight," Hanekom - according to a Xinhua report - said: "The membership will help us as a country to address unemployment, poverty and inequality."