Established as a platform that brings together researchers, academics and think tanks, the SABTT plays a central role in shaping South Africa’s participation in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) bloc. Its work fosters exchange of ideas, convening the BRICS Academic Forum, and developing research-based policy recommendations to inform and guide BRICS leaders. Prof Masoga’s appointment is effective from 2 January 2026.
Prof Masoga was appointed by Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela. In the appointment letter, the Minister affirmed the SABTT as the primary structure mandated to provide research and expert policy advice to guide South Africa’s meaningful participation in BRICS.
“Prof Masoga’s appointment as Chairperson of the South African BRICS Think Tank marks a major stride for people centred, humanities driven global engagement,” said Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies. “This appointment reflects a powerful alignment of scholarship, leadership and national service. Prof Masoga is poised to amplify South Africa’s voice in global dialogues that matter.”
A people-centred approach to global engagement
For Prof Masoga, the appointment carries deep personal significance, too. He says he feels “very humbled by this appointment… It takes me back to my childhood beginnings, wanting to make a difference in the lives of many.”
He situates South Africa’s participation in BRICS within a rapidly changing global landscape. While BRICS is often viewed primarily through a financial or economic lens, Prof Masoga cautions against this limited understanding. “This is a short-sighted view,” he says, noting that BRICS engages with a wide range of issues that directly affect the lives of people across member states.
In this context, he emphasises the critical role of the humanities in shaping inclusive and meaningful global engagement. “Our responses, analyses, reflections, debates and discussions should be comprehensive,” he explains, adding that such work must speak to the full realities of communities. He points out that this broader framing is reflected in the SABTT’s location within the Department of Higher Education and Training and its stewardship by the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), where Prof Masoga currently serves as Chairperson of the Board.
As Chairperson, Prof Masoga is particularly focused on strengthening intellectual collaboration and ensuring that engagement translates into tangible outcomes. His priority is to create spaces where partnerships and dialogue can flourish while ensuring that “concrete knowledge products are produced” to inform policy development and support the government’s BRICS engagements.
This philosophy also shapes how he envisions the SABTT harnessing expertise from across the country. He advocates for sustained intellectual engagement through conferences, seminars, and workshops that lead to publications and policy briefs grounded in real-world application. “I do not subscribe to pontificated knowledge products,” he says, instead supporting “negotiated knowledge paradigms” shaped through engagement with society.
Universities, he argues, have a central responsibility within this ecosystem. As part of the broader intelligentsia, they are expected to respond to societal challenges through relevant, current and impactful research. Prof Masoga notes that the UFS and the Faculty of Humanities already contribute meaningfully in this space, pointing to ongoing scholarly work that engages critically with BRICS-related issues.
At the heart of his vision is a firm belief in the people-centred nature of humanities scholarship. From climate justice and security to gender and social cohesion, he maintains that the humanities cannot be separated from broader debates about justice. “Humanities is about people,” he says, underscoring the importance of ensuring that global platforms such as BRICS remain grounded in lived realities.
“By championing ‘negotiated knowledge paradigms’ and real world impact, Prof Masoga’s SABTT leadership reflects the very core of [UFS strategic document] Vision 130, namely to build and co-create futures grounded in collaboration, humanity and societal relevance,” Prof Reddy added.