Rising Powers in International Development: the State of the Debate in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa occupies an interesting position in the international development debate. On the one hand, as Africa’s most developed, diversified and, until recently, largest economy representing close to one-third of sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), it is an active player in numerous global governance and development fora, it maintains an extensive development partnership with the rest of Africa and is a member of the group of emerging countries, the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Forum. Yet, on the other hand, it positions itself within the developing world, insisting that South Africa is itself a developing state despite its wealth relative to the rest of the continent and other developing countries.