Watch: Putin joins Brics leaders on final day of summit after Wagner leader ‘killed in crash’

Watch as Brics leaders close the summit on Thursday, 24 August, with a news conference in Johannesburg.

After the conference and a family photo of heads of state and government, South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa and China’s president Xi Jinping were due to co-chair a China-Africa Roundtable.

Mr Ramaphosa was scheduled to address the media on Thursday morning to deliver the outcomes of the summit of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South African officials said that more than 40 countries have expressed an interest in joining Brics and 22 have formally asked to be invited.

Today’s meeting came after Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was thought to be among 10 people killed in a plane crash in Russia.

Footage shows the flaming wreckage after a private jet came down near Moscow on Wednesday evening.

The Wagner leader was on the passenger list for the plane but it was not confirmed if he was on board.