Africa and the Emerging South

The relationship between Africa and the so-called BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and now South Africa – is rapidly changing the face of the continent. Chris Alden of the London School of Economics analyzes how growing trade ties shape Africa’s future. The original BRIC countries seek raw materials from Africa and undercut some local industries. Yet competition among BRICS, their investment in infrastructure and ability to take a collective stance on a range of global issues inspires Africans to engage in their own long-term planning, state-led development and new regional trade links. “Perhaps the most difficult issues facing the BRICS countries are not negotiations with the North but their relationship with their geographic regions and the rest of the developing world,” Alden writes. He concludes that assertive, responsible African leaders who monitor the competition for resources and foreign investment, while practicing regional cooperation, can ensure benefits for the continent and it citizens. – YaleGlobal