Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations?

The report details a policy dialogue focused on the shifting dynamics of Africa's external relations as emerging powers—specifically China, India, and Brazil—increase their presence. It argues that Europe no longer holds a privileged position and suggests that African-led 'triangular' cooperation involving traditional donors and emerging economies could enhance development effectiveness. Key discussions centered on reconciling commercial interests with altruistic values, the need for African ownership of development strategies, and the potential for mutual learning, such as the EU sharing anti-corruption experiences while learning from China's commercial engagement models.

• European influence in Africa's external relations has diminished as African states now have a wider array of development partners, with intensifying ties to emerging markets like China becoming a priority, particularly following the financial crisis in the North.
• There is potential for mutual learning between traditional and emerging partners; for example, China could benefit from EU experiences in fighting corruption and interacting with non-state actors, while the EU and USA could learn from China's commercial engagements that produce developmental impacts.
• Triangular cooperation—involving Africa, emerging economies, and traditional partners—is seen as functional for sharing experiences, but its success depends on trust, as some African actors perceive these initiatives as being driven primarily by Europe.
• A significant challenge exists in reconciling commercial interests with altruistic values. Participants emphasized the need for better coordination between Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA flows, as well as between public and private actions, to support sustainable growth.
• Effective triangular dialogue requires a neutral process and African leadership to avoid the perception that emerging powers are simply joining existing frameworks created by traditional donors, such as the Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
• African institutions need increased capacity to conduct their own analysis of the impact of various partners. South Africa is cited as an example of a country that developed strategic engagement agreements with China, India, and Brazil based on national interests.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2011). Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations? https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ecdpm_saiia_final_report_apr2011final.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations? 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ecdpm_saiia_final_report_apr2011final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations? |date=April 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ecdpm_saiia_final_report_apr2011final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2011emerging, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ecdpm_saiia_final_report_apr2011final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }