The 2023 summit of the BRICS economic bloc may finally lay the groundwork for future membership criteria and mechanisms to generate greater trade and financial flows using non-Western currencies, although internal divisions will slow this progress. South Africa will host the 15th summit of BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Aug. 22-4 in what is poised to be the bloc's most consequential meeting in nine years; it will also be the bloc's first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Two of the summit's major topics will be expanding the bloc's membership and increasing the use of non-dollar currencies in trade.