BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement

The policy brief examines South Africa's role as a 'gateway to Africa' within the BRICS group, arguing that the country must move from rhetoric to a concrete commercial diplomacy strategy to secure tangible economic gains. It highlights the growth of BRICS-Africa trade and investment, while noting that engagement remains largely bilateral and continues a pattern of Africa exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods. The author recommends that South Africa prioritize bilateral relations with key African states and utilize development finance institutions to support regional integration and infrastructure.

• The BRICS countries have significant global economic weight, accounting for 25% of global gross domestic product, 30% of global land area, and 45% of the world's population based on 2011 statistics.
• Trade between BRICS and Africa has grown rapidly, doubling since 2007 to an estimated $340 billion in 2012, with projections that it will exceed $500 billion by 2015.
• Despite the rise of emerging economies, the economic relationship between BRICS and Africa remains traditional, with Africa exporting commodities and importing manufactured goods.
• South Africa's BRICS membership is based on its self-perceived role as a regional leader and 'gateway to Africa', though this leadership is contested by other nations such as Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
• South Africa lacks a coordinated strategy that combines foreign policy with commercial diplomacy and fails to adequately engage its business sector to secure concrete economic benefits from BRICS.
• The proposed BRICS Development Bank is viewed by South Africa as a potential funding source for infrastructure and the Tripartite Free Trade Area, though the author notes that Africa's priorities in the bank would require a strong diplomatic push.

APA

Dube, M. (2013). BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Policy-Briefing-62.pdf

Chicago

Dube, Memory. BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Policy-Briefing-62.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dube |first1=Memory |title=BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Policy-Briefing-62.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dube2013brics, author = {Dube, Memory}, title = {{BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Policy-Briefing-62.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }