Edward Aitken | Africa Fellow
BRICS member states photograph during the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia on 23 Oct 2024. From left to right: Abiy Ahmed, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Masoud Pezeshkian & Mauro Vieira. Image sourced from Prime Minister's Office, Government of India via Wikimedia Commons.
This year’s BRICS summit, the multilateral formation of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, looked different to the group’s previous high-level meetings. Officially titled BRICS+, five new members were formally welcomed to the multilateral group, of which two – Egypt and Ethiopia – joined as new African states. As prominent voices on the world stage for the Global South, African countries must seize the opportunity for greater influence in the international arena.
Background on BRICS
Since South Africa’s joining of BRICS in 2010, the group has operated as an important geopolitical bloc and potential counterweight to the Western international order. With 4 of the 5 states classed as developing, the summit has always focused on economic opportunities and greater involvement in global affairs for developing states.
In 15 years, BRICS has increased access to rapidly growing markets for member states, particularly for access to leading technology, where India and China are global leaders. Technology is increasingly critical for growing young populations to address critical issues like energy security and climate change.
Becoming BRICS+
In 2023, BRICS extended an invitation of membership to 6 countries, with 5 accepting. The BRICS+ bloc now represents 44 per cent of the world's population and 37.3 per cent of global GDP. This year's event in Kazan, Russia was held under the motto "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security", reflecting the central theme that unites members and their disillusionment with Western-led institutions of global economic governance. On the meeting’s agenda was an alternative payment system (BRICS Pay), expanding membership to more countries in the Global South, and strengthening energy security.
What's in it for African countries?
African countries engaging with BRICS+ have a lot to gain. Most importantly for participants, this includes diversifying international partnerships. As postcolonial societies, many African countries have had their economic and diplomatic engagements dominated by Western states and institutions. These relationships have not been overly beneficial to Africa, most noticeably with the lingering aftereffects of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s structural adjustment policies of the 1980s and 1990s. The imposition of neo-colonial economic doctrine saw the heavy Western involvement in setting domestic macroeconomic agendas, supported by lending provided by the IMF and World Bank. The impacts to countries like Zimbabwe are still being felt today, with slow growth and hyperinflation linked to this historic economic program. BRICS+ presents an alternative, with new paths to funding, access to world-leading technology and globally significant trade networks.
Economically, African states stand to gain from the BRICS+ bloc. The New Development Bank (NDB) (formerly the BRICS Development Bank), that operates out of Shanghai, China and Johannesburg, South Africa, already facilitates large infrastructure projects in African member states, particularly South Africa. Typically, finance from the NDB comes with fewer strings attached than with typical Western loans. A recent push for "de-dollarisation" by the creation of BRICS Pay as a currency, aims to increase the use of local currencies amongst member states and reduce the reliance on the US dollar. It may take a while to establish competing financial systems but an agenda that allows for greater financial autonomy would be a win for many African countries.
By boosting economic self-sufficiency, African countries will be able to push for reforms in global governance, energy security and climate change reparations, among other critical issues disproportionately affecting the Continent, with greater ease. This opportunity to greater advocate for more equitable development outcomes should not be missed.
The challenges and limitations for African countries
Although BRICS+ does champion a multipolar world, African states must navigate the challenges carefully. With a changing world order, Africa is at risk of becoming a geopolitical battleground for great powers looking to exert influence and find friends. The swing from one foreign friend to another has been seen in the Sahel this year. Recent activity by the Russian backed "Africa Initiative" to discredit the West and promote Russia is prominent in Burkina Faso, only months after US and French troops were ordered to leave the country. A balanced approach that grants partnerships on alignment with development goals will ensure meaningful and lasting outcomes.
A changing global order is also likely to bring short term volatility to trade. African governments involving themselves with BRICS+ must keep diversification in mind as they transition away from deals in US dollars. While seeking new opportunities, the emphasis on investments to align with development goals that bring value to the Continent should not be overlooked. Local communities are often unfavoured by international finance projects, and this must change as engagement with the NDB grows.
Harnessing the new order
The opportunity now for the new BRICS+ members and those on the periphery is too good to ignore. More African perspectives, although from all corners of the Continent, is a good thing for the whole of Africa. Too often African voices are muted and paternalistic finance deals executed within African countries. To achieve greater political and economic sway, African countries in BRICS+ must participate not as passive recipients but as active partners shaping the terms of global engagement. If this shift in the global order does continue, Africa should be at the driving seat.
Edward Aitken is the Africa Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Politics and Journalism) from the University of Notre Dame Fremantle. Admitted as a lawyer in 2024, he is currently working at an international commercial law firm in Melbourne.
Edward has a passion for learning about cultures and stories emanating from Africa. His engagement with the continent stemmed from travelling in Eastern and Southern Africa for six months in 2022 and 2023. He hopes to a establish a career in the continent with a keen interest on renewable energy and sustainable development.
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