Emerging Powers and the Changing Global Environment: Leadership, Norms and Institutions

The paper examines the rise of emerging powers, specifically the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), and their impact on global leadership and norms. It argues that the 'decline of the West' is exaggerated, as emerging powers often emulate Western modernity and liberal economic reforms. The author critiques the BRICS forum as a 'political club' lacking a unifying agenda and suggests that South Africa's membership is a 'strategic blunder'. Instead, the paper recommends that South Africa develop a rigorous commercial diplomacy approach to leverage economic opportunities within Africa and engage emerging powers on a bilateral basis to navigate 'institutional voids' such as corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency.

• The author argues that claims regarding the decline of the West are exaggerated, noting that emerging powers are seeking to emulate or appropriate Western advances and lifestyles rather than replace them.
• The BRICS forum is characterized as an ineffective 'political club' that lacks a coherent unifying agenda and fails to produce substantive commercial or political gains for its members.
• South Africa's decision to join the BRICS forum is described as a 'strategic blunder' and a sign of diminishing strategic clarity in its foreign policy.
• Emerging powers are marked by 'institutional voids'—including corruption, weak rule of law, and bureaucratic inefficiency—that hinder their competitiveness and ease of doing business.
• Among the BRICS, South Africa generally outperforms its peers in terms of the ease of doing business, economic freedom, and the quality of its institutions, although it faces significant challenges with corruption.
• The author recommends that South Africa shift its focus toward a bold commercial diplomacy strategy specifically targeting the African continent to avoid being overshadowed by China and India.
• The paper asserts that the Western world is losing credibility and legitimacy not because of a loss of economic power, but due to a 'disjuncture between norms and practice' and inconsistencies with its own liberal ideals.

APA

Qobo, M. (2011). Emerging Powers and the Changing Global Environment: Leadership, Norms and Institutions. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Occasional-Paper-91.pdf

Chicago

Qobo, Mzukisi. Emerging Powers and the Changing Global Environment: Leadership, Norms and Institutions. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Occasional-Paper-91.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Qobo |first1=Mzukisi |title=Emerging Powers and the Changing Global Environment: Leadership, Norms and Institutions |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Occasional-Paper-91.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{qobo2011emerging, author = {Qobo, Mzukisi}, title = {{Emerging Powers and the Changing Global Environment: Leadership, Norms and Institutions}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Occasional-Paper-91.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }