Sinceitsestablishment,theBRICShasconsistentlysoughttomaintaincooperationwithnon-membernationsintheglobalSouth.ThisissignificantforAfricainitsendeavorstostrengthenpartnershipswithdevelopedandemergingeconomiestowardfosteringdevelopment.Underthe鈥淏RICSPlus鈥漟ramework,representativesfromRwanda,Namibia,TogoandEgypt,theheadoftheNewPartnershipforAfrica鈥檚Development,thepresidentoftheAfricanDevelopmentBank,andsixregionalexecutivecommitteesecretarygeneralshaveallbeeninvitedtothe2018Summit.
Thisisparticularlyrelevantgiventhethemeforthe2018BRICSSummit:鈥淏RICSinAfrica:CollaborationforInclusiveGrowthandSharedProsperityintheFourthIndustrialRevolution,鈥漺hichreflectstheforum鈥檚worktowardamoreequitableandinclusiveenvironment.Asthehostnation,SouthAfricahastheopportunitytosettheagendaandplaceAfrica鈥檚continentalconcernshighontheagenda.The2018SummitprovidesgreateropportunitiesforAfricancountriestoengagewithlargedevelopingcountriestoenhanceregionalvaluechainsandensurethattheselinkintotheglobaleconomysoastogenerateimprovedtermsoftrade.
TetheringtotheseopportunitiesisapotentiallyhighimpactpathwayforAfricandevelopmentandindustrialization,whichisguidedbytheAfricanUnion鈥檚Agenda2063(adoptedin2013).OneBRICSinstitutionthatisconnectedtothegoalsofAgenda2063istheNewDevelopmentBank.ThebankhasopenedanAfricaRegionalCenterinSouthAfrica,whichisdesignedtoassistandenabledevelopingcountries,mainlyinAfrica,tofundlarge-scaleprojectsontheirownterms.
BRICSisclearlyopentosupportingAfricancountriesintheirdevelopmentalendeavors.Africangovernmentsandbusinessesmustensurethattheyoptimizetheopportunitythatthispresents.Mostimportantly,theymustbeinformed,awareandattentivetotherapidlyevolvingeconomicdynamicsintheBRICScountries.Equippedwithadeepunderstandingofthisbloc,targetedstrategiestoenhancetheextenttowhichtheyareattractiveinvestmentdestinationsmustbecrafted.Anemphasisonkeysectorssuchastelecommunications,infrastructure,manufacturing,finance,mediaandagriculturesectorsinvestmentisessential.
CooperationwithAfricaisvitalforBRICS,asAfricaisstillseenasthenewfrontierforpromisingbusinessprospectsandalargemarkettotradeasincomescontinuetorisegradually.SouthAfricamustcontinuetoactasa鈥渓aunchpad鈥漣ntothisdynamiccontinentalmarket.
1/KenyaJune:ChinaSoutherndirectflightsbetweentheKenyancapitalNairobiandGuangzhouhasbeenincreasedfromtwiceperweek,transporting120,000passengers,tothecurrentthreetimesperweek.TheflightisexpectedtoincreasetradeandculturalinteractionsbetweenChinaandKenyaandChinaandthegreaterEastAfricanregion.
2/MozambiqueJune:Agreementsdetailing$100millionworthofprojectshavebeensignedbetweenChineseViceMinisterofCommerceQianKemingandMozambicanMinisterofForeignAffairsandCooperationJos茅Pacheco.Theprojectsincludeanew$60millionairportinsouthXai-XaiCityandatechnicalinstituteinthecentralregion.
3/ZimbabweJune:ChinahasbeguntoreleasethefundsfortheexpansionoftheHwangepowerstation.Plannedtobethecountry鈥檚largest-everpowerstationexpansionproject,theadditionwillincreasethestation鈥檚capacityfrom920mwtoover1,500mw.
4/SouthAfricaMay:SeveralmemorandumsofunderstandingandagreementweresignedbetweennineChinesecompaniesandSouthAfrica鈥檚LimpopoEconomicDevelopmentAgency.Over$10billionworthofinvestmentswillbemadebytheChinesefirmsintoseveralprojectsintheMusinaMakhadoSpecialEconomicZone,includingapowerfacilityandasteelmanufacturingplant.UpgradingofinfrastructureintheSEZhasmadeitmoreattractivetoforeigninvestors.
5/NigeriaMay:Anagreementworth$6.68billionwassignedbetweenNigerianTransportMinisterRotimiAmaechiandChinaCivilEngineeringConstructionCorp.topayfortheongoingconstructionofaraillinelinkingLagoswithKano,Nigeria鈥檚secondlargestcity.