"South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, one of the key leaders within the BRICS group of nations, delivers his New Year address on Wednesday December 31. He is expected to reflect on the country’s progress this year - which included the G20 presidency and a famous bust-up with Donald Trump - as well as challenges and priorities for the year ahead. The BRICS group has gone from strength to strength over the course of 2025, welcoming 10 new partner nations - Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Nigeria and Vietnam - as well as Indonesia as a full member. The organisation now covers nearly half the world's population and a third of the global economy."