BRICS–AFRICA COOPERATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the cooperation between BRICS nations and Africa, focusing on industrialisation and infrastructure financing. It evaluates the role of South Africa in promoting African interests within the BRICS framework, the potential of the New Development Bank (NDB), and the challenges of debt, transparency, and unequal trade.

• South Africa views its membership in the BRICS as a means to advance broader African interests, specifically by leveraging BRICS finance for infrastructure and manufacturing. In 2011, President Jacob Zuma stated that Africa would require $480 billion for infrastructure development over the following ten years.
• The New Development Bank (NDB) is a significant point of interest for African stakeholders, and South Africa successfully advocated for the establishment of the NDB's only specifically mentioned regional centre in Africa, located in Johannesburg. However, as of March 2018, no African country had formally requested membership, and the NDB's 2017–2021 Strategy does not specifically prioritise sub-Saharan Africa.
• Trade between BRICS and African countries is characterized by significant inequality. In 2017, total trade (excluding South Africa) was $223.7 billion, with over 80% of African exports to the BRICS consisting of primary commodities, while the BRICS primarily exported manufactured goods to Africa.
• Rising external debt is a critical challenge for many African countries, with the average debt-to-GDP ratio increasing from 40.2% in 2012 to 57.3% in 2016. BRICS members, particularly China, India, and South Africa, are among the largest bilateral creditors for infrastructure investments on the continent.
• There is a lack of transparency regarding financing and loans in BRICS-Africa relations. Only Russia and South Africa currently report data to the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA), which monitors infrastructure financing on the continent.
• The document recommends that the BRICS formalise a relationship with the African Union (AU) and that South Africa push for a dedicated BRICS–Africa strategy. Additionally, it suggests the AUC establish a dedicated BRICS unit to support rotating AU chairs and ensure policy continuity.

APA

SIDIROPOULOS, E., PRINSLOO, C., MPUNGOSE, L., & GROBBELAAR, N. (2018). BRICS–AFRICA COOPERATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BRICS-Africa-cooperation-achievements-opportunities.pdf

Chicago

SIDIROPOULOS, ELIZABETH, CYRIL PRINSLOO, LUANDA MPUNGOSE, and NEUMA GROBBELAAR. BRICS–AFRICA COOPERATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BRICS-Africa-cooperation-achievements-opportunities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=SIDIROPOULOS |first1=ELIZABETH |last2=PRINSLOO |first2=CYRIL |last3=MPUNGOSE |first3=LUANDA |last4=GROBBELAAR |first4=NEUMA |title=BRICS–AFRICA COOPERATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BRICS-Africa-cooperation-achievements-opportunities.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sidiropoulos2018bricsafrica, author = {SIDIROPOULOS, ELIZABETH and PRINSLOO, CYRIL and MPUNGOSE, LUANDA and GROBBELAAR, NEUMA}, title = {{BRICS–AFRICA COOPERATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BRICS-Africa-cooperation-achievements-opportunities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }