Tafelberg Short: South Africa in BRICS: Salvation or ruination?

by William Gumede

Overview

The economic landscape of the world is changing dramatically. The power structure that favoured developed countries is falling away under the effects of the global financial crisis of 2008, the slowdown in the US economy and the debt crisis in Europe. At the same time developing countries are gaining economic ground. South Africa is among the developing countries taking a more prominent role on the global stage. With China, Brazil, Russia and India it is part of the BRICS alliance, created to give the leading developing countries a stronger position when it comes to taking global action. But BRICS has its downsides, and South Africa faces many potential pitfalls as well as potential benefits. Will the richer countries in the alliance use their power to control BRICS initiatives? Can the member countries work together effectively when they are also in competition? What can South Africa gain from it? Renowned commentator and analyst William Gumede gives an incisive and thorough breakdown of what BRICS could mean for South Africa and Africa in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780624066781
Publisher:	Tafelberg
Publication date:	09/26/2013
Series:	Tafelberg Short/Tafelberg Kort
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	972,962
File size:	426 KB

About the Author

Eminent political commentator William Gumede is the author of the bestselling Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC, The Poverty of Ideas (co-edited with Leslie Dikeni) and the award-winning children's book A Kite's Flight. He is honorary associate professor of public and development management at the University of the Witwatersrand and a programme director at the University of London. Gumede first rose to prominence as deputy editor of The Sowetan newspaper. He also founded the Financial Mail's Little Black Book which celebrates black professionals. He is contributing commentator to The Guardian newspaper, London, and also writes for several South African publications.

Read an Excerpt

The economic landscape of the world is changing dramatically. The power structure that favoured developed countries is falling away under the effects of the global financial crisis of 2008, the slowdown in the US economy and the debt crisis in Europe. At the same time developing countries are gaining economic ground.

South Africa is among the developing countries taking a more prominent role on the global stage. With China, Brazil, Russia and India it is part of the BRICS alliance, created to give the leading developing countries a stronger position when it comes to taking global action.

But BRICS has its downsides, and South Africa faces many potential pitfalls as well as potential benefits. Will the richer countries in the alliance use their power to control BRICS initiatives? Can the member countries work together effectively when they are also in competition? What can South Africa gain from it?

Renowned commentator and analyst William Gumede gives an incisive and thorough breakdown of what BRICS could mean for South Africa and Africa in general.