Africa’s key role in global shift in broadened Brics

As the 17th Brics Summit opens in Rio de Janeiro next week, it represents far more than a routine diplomatic gathering. For Africa, it marks a pivotal moment of potential.

In a world increasingly defined by multipolar power and the assertiveness of the Global South, the Brics coalition—originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has emerged as a platform where emerging economies seek to shape the rules of global engagement.

For too long, Africa has been present at such forums but rarely influential. This summit offers a critical opportunity to change that narrative—to turn presence into power, and participation into leadership.

Across decades, the ambitions of African nations have remained steady: sustainable economic growth, industrialisation, infrastructure that connects rather than fragments, equitable trade terms, and financial systems designed to promote development rather than discipline.

These aspirations, while universally valid, have too often been constrained by external agendas, particularly from Western-dominated institutions that continue to prescribe conditions detached from local realities.

The Brics framework offers an alternative. It is not without its own power imbalances, but it provides a venue where African nations can engage major emerging economies on more equal terms—anchored in shared historical experiences and mutual respect for sovereignty.

This opportunity is all the more urgent today.

Africa’s population is nearing 1.5 billion, its consumer markets are expanding, and the African Continental Free Trade Area has unlocked a powerful vision for regional economic integration.

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But the continent’s vast potential remains under leveraged without the capital, infrastructure and policy flexibility needed to drive meaningful transformation.

Brics, through its financial instrument—the New Development Bank—offers a valuable source of funding that is often better aligned with African priorities than conventional lenders. Unlike institutions that impose rigid conditionalities, Brics financing tends to support nationally determined development strategies without undermining local ownership.

South Africa, the only African founding member of Brics, plays a crucial bridging role. But as interest in Brics+ expands, with countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Algeria exploring closer engagement, South Africa’s task must evolve.

It should act not only in its national interest, but as a conduit for broader African priorities. This moment demands continental coordination and unity.

South Africa must help ensure that Africa’s development goals—particularly in infrastructure, trade facilitation, and technology access—are placed at the centre of Brics negotiations. Next week’s summit is an ideal stage for that leadership to be asserted.

Importantly, Africa’s increasing engagement with Brics should not be mistaken for a wholesale pivot away from traditional partners.

The United States, European Union and other allies continue to offer important cooperation, particularly in health, education, and democratic governance.

What Africa seeks is not exclusivity, but balance. A diversification of partnerships provides leverage and autonomy. Brics represents one piece of a larger diplomatic strategy—one that enables African states to negotiate from a position of strength rather than dependence. This is not about choosing sides in a global contest. It is about choosing what works best for Africa.

Yet this engagement must be guided by principle. Brics is not free from internal asymmetries. China's dominant economic position and Russia’s military footprint in parts of Africa—particularly through private actors—raise valid concerns.

The challenge is ensuring that Africa’s participation in Brics does not replicate old patterns of dependency under a new label.
African leaders must engage with clarity, insist on transparency, and prioritise mutually beneficial outcomes. Strength lies not in proximity to power, but in the ability to shape it.

What Brics offers at its core is a framework in which African nations are not mere observers but active architects of the future global order. In recent years, African diplomacy has become more assertive—visible in climate negotiations, global health discussions, and demands for reform at the United Nations and Bretton Woods institutions.

Brics can amplify that assertiveness by giving African leaders a louder, more credible platform to advocate for reform, fairness, and global inclusion.

This is not only a geopolitical shift; it is a psychological one. Africa is not a zone of perpetual crisis or passive development. It is a continent of innovation, resilience and youthful dynamism.

The tech ecosystems in Kenya and Nigeria, Morocco’s green energy investments, and Ethiopia’s agriculture innovations all point to a continent ready to contribute and lead.

Next week’s Brics Summit has the potential to be remembered as a turning point—if African leaders seize the moment.

They must demand equitable financing, infrastructure that promotes regional integration, and partnerships that respect African agency. Above all, they must reject any arrangements that compromise sovereignty or prioritize geopolitical interests over genuine development.

Africa is no longer content to be at the margins of global affairs. It is stepping into its rightful role—not as a project to be managed, but as a partner to be heard. If Brics is serious about fostering a more just and representative global system, it must do more than include Africa. It must actively listen to it—and follow its lead.

The writer is a journalist and communication consultant