The BRICS in Africa: promoting development?

Abstract

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have become an engine of South-South cooperation (S-SC) (UNECA 2014). The most significant outcome of the emergence of BRICS is the shift in the balance of power in global affairs. In the past decade, the international community has witnessed BRICS members becoming more actively involved in world affairs. The BRICS countries are prominent regional players, maintaining regional security and dealing with economic challenges either by working through regional institutions or sometimes coordinating with major external players (O'Neill & Stupnytska 2009). The BRICS countries collectively represent about 26% of the world's geographic area and 40% of the world's population (Dresen 2011). BRICS has aimed to reform global governance processes practised within various international institutional frameworks that do not match the scope and nature of 21st century challenges such as food insecurity, water insecurity and COVID-19.