Tafelberg Short: South Africa in BRICS

Developing economies are set to become bigger players on the world stage, and the BRICS alliance – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – may stand to gain most. Yet it is not necessarily to South Africa’s benefit to be part of this group. With an economy much smaller than any of the others’, South Africa faces many pitfalls, and has to ensure that its interests are not subsumed by the agendas of others. Eminent political commentator and analyst William Gumede takes a hard look at the opportunities and options for South Africa within BRICS.