ISTOCKChina鈥檚economicriseandtheBRICS(Brazil,Russia,India,ChinaandSouthAfrica)groupinghaveprovidedAfricancontinentwitharangeofnewdevelopmentpartnersandopportunitiesunmatchedinitspost-colonialhistory.Africa鈥檚strategicengagementwithBRICSoffersauniqueopportunitytopromoteanewandinnovativedevelopmentpath.BRICSinvestmentsandinfrastructuredevelopmentprogramsareexpectedtounderpinandpromotecontinuedeconomicgrowthinAfricathroughaprocessofexpandedSouth-Southcooperation.AstheonlyAfricanBRICSmember,SouthAfricaisexpectedtofacilitategreaterAfricanengagementwiththeBRICSprocessandespeciallywiththeNewDevelopmentBank(NDB)whichcanfacilitateacceleratedeconomicdevelopmentinAfricaandtheGlobalSouth.
AttheBRICSSummitinJohannesburginJuly,SouthAfricawillstrengthenandexpandtheBRICSsystembyinvitingotherAfricananddevelopingcountriestocontributeandparticipatethroughtheBRICSdialoguesystemandBRICSPlusprocess.SouthAfricansarekeenforBRICStoadvanceindustrializationandinfrastructureconstructionandfacilitateAfrica鈥檚fullparticipationintheFourthIndustrialRevolution.OtherissueswhereSouthAfricansarehopingforprogressincludeBRICScooperationonpeacekeepinginAfrica,promotionofgenderequality,intra-BRICStourism,intraBRICSinvestmentandimprovedhealthcaremechanisms.Inaddition,itisanticipatedthatincreasedBRICSinteractionwithAfricawillsupportandadvanceSouthAfrica鈥檚NationalDevelopmentPlanandtheAU鈥檚Agenda2063developmentprogram.
South-Southcooperation
AsakeypartnerwithintheBRICSframework,ChinahasconfirmeditsintentiontoaccelerateSouth-Southcooperationandmutualeconomicdevelopment.IncreasedChina-AfricatradewilladvancethedevelopmentofAfricancontinentandgivesubstancetoBRICS鈥檕bjectivesofstrengtheningSouth-Southcommercialinteractionformutualbenefit.DespitethechallengesofinvestinginAfrica,goodprogressisbeingmadeinturningthecontinentintoapositiveinvestmentdestination.
ExpandedBRICS-Africapartnershipofferssignificantopportunityforlong-termeconomicgrowth.Theshort-termassignmentistodevelopappropriatebusiness-to-businessdialoguesandinformationsharingprocessestoaccelerateintra-BRICStradeandinvestment.Thiswillhelpcounterthedestabilizingtrendtowardanti-globalizationandprotectionism.
AcceleratingsustainablegrowthindevelopingcountriesshouldbedrivenbyamoralimperativetoaddresspovertyandachievetheUNSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)assoonasreasonablypossible.BRICSshouldthusstrengthenitsphilosophyofmutualbenefit,cooperativedevelopmentandthecommitmenttoaccomplishtheSDGtargets.
RecenttrendsconfirmthatChina-Africarelationsaremovingaheadinaverypositiveway,basedonavisionofthecommunityofasharedfuture,mutualsupportandequalitygroundedonacommonhistoricalstrugglefornationalliberation.Furthermore,ChinasupportsAfricatobecomeakeyplayerinamultipolarworld,whileChinaremainscommittedtoamutuallybeneficialrelationshipwithAfrica,focusedoncooperationforcommondevelopment.
AcloserstrategicalignmentbetweenBRICSandtheotherkeyeconomiccooperationmechanisms,suchastheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC),theAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBankandtheBeltandRoadInitiative,offersaninnovativeglobalnetworktoadvancecommondevelopmentandprosperity.
ThismutualrespectandsharedlearningthroughtheBRICSprocesscanformthebasisforcooperationinamultipolarworld.AcceleratedBRICScooperationisintendedtobenefitBRICSmembersandtheworld,whileatthesametime,promotingpeaceandglobalharmony.AfricaisexpectedtoincreasinglylooktoBRICSasitskeydevelopmentandgeopoliticalpartner.
BRICS-Africaopportunities
AstheBRICSeconomiesgrow,increasedcommercialengagementwithAfricawillofferthecontinentnewprospectsfortradeandinvestment.ThechallengeisforAfricatograsptheopportunitiesofferedbyBRICSandtakefulladvantageoftrade,investment,culturalexchangeandassistanceprograms.ThekeytosuccessforAfricainthiscontextdependsonthecontinent鈥檚appropriateresponseinaddressingitsownimpedimentstogrowth,suchaslowlevelsofproductivity,hightransactioncosts,poormarketaccessandanunfavorableinvestmentclimate.Africa鈥檚challengeistocreatefavorableconditionsforinwardforeigndirectinvestmentflows.Theframeworkforthecontinent鈥檚successfuldevelopmentagendawouldincludepro-growthpolicies,inclusivesystemsofgovernment,improvedpoliticalandcorporategovernance,strengthenedconflictresolutionmechanismsandmorecompetitivelaborpractices.Africa鈥檚growingrelationshipwithBRICSinvestorsoffersmanynewpossibilitiesandopportunities.
WhileBRICSbasesitspolicyonfriendshipandhistoricalsolidarityandseeksawin-winrelationshipwithAfrica,themanagementofrelationshipstoachievethisisnotundemanding.Atthegloballevel,ajointefforttoreshapeglobalizationandinternationaleconomicinstitutionscanadvancetheinterestsofbothAfricaandBRICS.
Complementaryeconomies
AcomprehensiveandpositiveapproachtoforeigninvestmentfromBRICS,implementedbyAfricangovernments,wouldgoalongwaytoensuringawin-winrelationship.IMFstudiesconfirmChina鈥檚criticalroleingeneratingglobaleconomicgrowththroughitsincreasingprominenceasanimporterofcommodities,goodsandservices.DevelopingcountriesbenefitdirectlyfromincreasedexportstoChinaandareabletogeneratenewgrowthasaconsequenceofexpandingdemandinChina.
Attheirrespectivestagesofdevelopment,theChineseandAfricaneconomiesarehighlycomplementary.Eachhasaclearcomparativeadvantagewhich,ifmanagedeffectively,cantranslateintoalong-termmutuallybeneficialeconomicoutcome.China鈥檚economicopeninguptotheoutsideworldhasresultedinanacceleratedgrowthinSino-Africantradeandinvestment.
BRICS,alongwithFOCACandtheBeltandRoadInitiative,canstrengthenandacceleratethisprocess.TradelinkagesamongBRICScountriessuggestthatintraBRICScommercialcooperationisstrong,butthereisstillsignificantpotentialforexpansionandgrowth.AspecificfocusonpromotingBRICS-Africa(andespeciallyChina-AfricatradethroughBRICS)wouldhaveamajorpositiveimpactoneconomicgrowthinthecontinent.
BRICSmembershipoffersSouthAfricaleveragetoexpandeconomicandpoliticalcooperationgloballytothebenefitofAfricaasawhole.ItishopedthatSouthAfricacantakeadvantageofitsuniquepositionattheBRICSSummitinJohannesburg.SouthAfricashouldensurethatitsBRICSdiplomacyisstrengthenedandsupportedbyotherAfricancountries.Asarepresentative,orpromoter,oftheAfricancontinentwithintheBRICSsystem,SouthAfricawillbefarmoreeffectivethanparticipatingasasingleindependentstate-actor.BRICScouldbedecisiveinadvancingAfricaninfrastructuredevelopmentandregionalintegration,which,inturn,willopenthewayforfastereconomicgrowthonthecontinent.
AsAfrica鈥檚voicewithintheBRICSsystem,SouthAfricahasahistoricalresponsibilitytoadvanceBRICScooperation,whileatthesametime,facilitatingAfrica鈥檚inclusionandconstructiveparticipationintheBRICSprocess.
**TheauthorisanassociateprofessorofInternationalRelationsattheUniversityofWitwatersrandinJohannesburg
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