South Africa and BRICS+

In terms of foreign policy, South Africa officially pursues a strategy of “non-alignment”, in which the BRICS+ is assessed as one of several international discussion formats for the country. In reality, however, the BRICS+ format is deliberately interpreted by the largest governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), as a counterweight to the perceived dominance of Western institutions and is used accordingly. In addition, the BRICS+ association of states has long strengthened South Africa's position internationally as a regional power on the African continent. The country on the Cape is therefore not only a beneficiary, but as the host of three BRICS+ conferences to date, it is also an active partner within the association of states. For example, the expansion of the alliance of states (BRICS+) was recently decided at the BRICS Conference 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. South Africa has increasingly distanced itself from many Western and economically important partners in recent years due to its ideological proximity to other BRICS+ member states as well as its foreign policy positions that go beyond this. South Africa's foreign policy therefore faces the challenge of further developing the BRICS+ alliance in such a way that there is a tangible economic benefit for the country and at the same time Western partners do not continue to turn away from the country on the Cape.

The full-length country report is only available in German.