JOHANNESBURG, June 28 (Xinhua) -- South Africa says Africa will become a focus issue during the upcoming 10th BRICS summit to be held in the country next month.

In an article titled "S. Africa champions African interests within BRICS", Lindiwe Sisulu, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said that the summit will take place under the theme "BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution".

As the BRICS rotating chair, South Africa intends to continue working towards strengthening relations between BRICS and the African continent.

"We are certain that cooperation between BRICS and Africa will support Africa's efforts to diversify and modernize its economies through infrastructure development, knowledge exchange, increased access to technology, enhanced capacity-building and investment in human capital," said the foreign minister.

Sisulu stated that South Africa's membership of the BRICS forum has become a vital element of its global economic strategy and is viewed as a catalyst and enabling tool for the pursuit and achievement of South Africa's foreign policy priorities.

She added that the BRICS summit operates on the basis of common interests and shared objectives.

"The establishment of the BRICS New Development Bank is a clear indication that BRICS countries are firm in their determination to reform the global financial architecture," she said.

"We have no doubt, given the support we have already enjoyed since becoming BRICS chair at the beginning of January 2018, that the summit will be a success." she said.