As the BRICS group of nations are preparing to hold a proposed annual summit in South Africa, nineteen countries have expressed an interest so far in joining the bloc.

The foreign ministers of BRICS nations will reportedly attend the discussions on a range of issues including the expansion of the bloc in June.

The BRICS collective, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is working on a common currency in an attempt to ditch the US dollar and push back against America’s dominance.

The move comes as Moscow and Beijing call for de-dollarisation in the face of Western sanctions.

The group has only admitted only a single member of South Africa in 2010 since its formation as the BRIC in 2006.

Accounting for 23 percent of the global economy, 18 percent of trade in goods and 25 percent of foreign investment, BRICS countries have formed an important force that in large part cannot be ignored in the world economy.