ABSTRACT
Emerging economies have been acknowledged as playing an important role in diversifying Africa’s international relations and thus granting Africa new and exciting possibilities. This has often been associated with the idea that the emerging powers are proffering an alternative vision of the world, one more amenable to the interests of the Global South. Emblemised by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), a great deal of interest has been generated to suggest that not only is Africa on the up, but that this is taking place within a global context where we are on the cusp of radically changing the global order. The BRICS have been cast as playing leading roles in such processes and Africa’s place in the world is thus said to be ‘rising’.
