BRICS and Governance in Southern Africa

In 2024, the BRICS alliance expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is now informally referred to as BRICS+.

This book explores the impact of these nations on governance practices and sustainable development in Southern African countries. It examines how BRICS+ countries influence political policies, including trade relationships, investment flows, and diplomatic engagements and how they contribute to or challenge the sustainable development agenda within Southern Africa, addressing issues such as poverty reduction, climate change, and social inequality. It analyses how BRICS+ interactions affect regional governance frameworks, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other regional initiatives and offers insight into how BRICS+ economic activities, including resource extraction and industrialization, impact environmental sustainability efforts in Southern Africa.

Further, the book discusses the way BRICS+ states can facilitate the transfer of technology and innovative governance practices to improve sustainable development strategies in the region. A critical assessment of the challenges posed by BRICS+ engagement in terms of ethical governance, corruption, and dependency versus the opportunities for regional empowerment and capacity building is examined in the book. It compares the influence of BRICS+ with other global powers or regional groupings, analysing their different approaches to governance and sustainability and includes specific case studies from Southern African countries to illustrate how connections with these nations have led to significant outcomes—both positive and negative—in governance and sustainability initiatives.

The book is primarily aimed at scholars, researchers and advanced students, as well as policymakers and government officials in Southern Africa and BRICS+ countries.