Article: The expansion of the BRICS in Africa: What are the challenges for the candidate countries?
The 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg shone a light on the issue of expanding the bloc, with several African countries expressing their willingness to join this economic coalition. Egypt and Algeria, among others, have applied to join the BRICS, while South Africa has been a member since 2010. What are the challenges of possible membership for these African countries? What are the expectations of the Brics vis-à-vis these new partnerships? To answer these questions, we interviewed Carlos Lopes, Professor Emeritus at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and former Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa.
According to Carlos Lopes, the major challenge for the candidate African countries is to stand out from the global geopolitical polarization and show their independence vis-à-vis the Western powers. By joining the BRICS, these countries seek to strengthen their position on the international scene and establish more balanced economic partnerships. The interest of the BRICS in this expansion lies in the key role that Africa will play in the energy transition and its potential as an emerging market. Indeed, with its strategic mineral resources and its young and creative population, Africa represents a fertile ground for investment and trade.
Among the member countries of the BRICS, China occupies a prominent place. However, Carlos Lopes points out that China is going through an economic crisis due to the transition of its economic model, which is moving from export to domestic consumption. This could have implications for the terms of loans granted by China to African countries, which may change in the future. Russia, on the other hand, is facing even greater economic difficulties than China, thus limiting its investment capacities. By contrast, India represents an emerging power in terms of industrial model and is particularly interested in expanding into Africa.
Brazil, for its part, is trying to catch up on its relations with Africa, after a period of disinvestment. As host of the BRICS summit, South Africa wishes to play the role of intermediary between the other members and the African continent.
In conclusion, the enlargement of the BRICS in Africa presents significant challenges for the candidate countries. This is an opportunity for these countries to strengthen their independence and diversify their economic partnerships. On the Brics side, Africa represents a promising market and a key player in the energy transition. It remains to be seen how these new dynamics will develop and what benefits this will bring to African countries and the BRICS as a whole.