The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi and led by Prime Minister Modi, concluded successfully, giving BRICS a stronger identity as a Global South institution. The summit saw the participation of African nations, including South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia as full members, and Uganda and Nigeria as designated partners. Burundi, as the Chair of the African Union, was also invited to attend. This marked a significant shift, as Africa was no longer just an invited constituency of the Global South.
Africa made significant contributions to the summit, particularly in terms of politics. The continent helped make BRICS more representative of the Global South, with Prime Minister Modi welcoming Ethiopia's participation as strengthening the collective voice of the Global South. South Africa, with its experience as a founding BRICS member, brought a clear economic agenda to the summit. President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the need for more intra-BRICS trade and investment, African industrialization, value addition, and infrastructure investment linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The New Delhi Declaration, adopted during the summit, reflected Africa's economic agenda. The declaration called for reliable and diversified critical-mineral supply chains, linked to value addition and economic diversification in resource-rich countries. It also emphasized the need for developing countries to gain greater access to higher-value segments of global manufacturing through investment, productive capacity, technology transfer, and technical cooperation. This marked a significant shift in the African BRICS agenda, moving beyond traditional demands for aid or development assistance.
African nations also pushed for financial reform during the summit. South Africa consistently argued for greater use of local currencies, more efficient cross-border payments, and development finance that responds to Global South priorities. The New Delhi Declaration welcomed continued work on BRICS cross-border payment interoperability and settlements in local currencies. Africa also gained from the strengthening of the New Development Bank, which was endorsed as a strategic instrument for development.
Ethiopia's admission to the New Development Bank process was a significant gain for Africa. The country has been admitted by the Board of Governors and is currently a prospective member. The NDB currently has three African members — South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria — and Ethiopia's joining would increase the continent's representation. The summit also saw specific diplomatic gains, including the endorsement of Ethiopia as the sole African Union-endorsed African candidate for the expanded ICAO Council.
The meetings on the margins of the summit were also important. Prime Minister Modi met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to review economic cooperation, defense, and security, capacity building, and regional and international issues. Modi also held discussions with South African President Ramaphosa and Egyptian President El-Sisi, with trade, investment, and wider strategic cooperation featuring prominently. These meetings highlighted the significance of BRICS in promoting African interests.
The gains for Africa from the summit were significant. The continent gained a stronger voice, with three African states now sitting inside the core BRICS decision-making process. Africa also gained in terms of finance, with the strengthening of the New Development Bank and local-currency financing. The summit's emphasis on investment, industrialization, and value chains directly addressed Africa's longstanding concerns about exporting resources without capturing sufficient value.
Key points
- Africa contributed to BRICS' identity as a Global South institution and gained a stronger voice in the decision-making process.
- The New Delhi Declaration reflected Africa's economic agenda, emphasizing investment, industrialization, and value chains.
- Africa gained from the strengthening of the New Development Bank and local-currency financing.
