Africa Rising?

Africa is said to be rising, turning a definitive page in its history, heralding new and exciting possibilities for the continent. The Africa Rising discourse maintains that upsurge in economic growth comes with improved governance and endogenous dynamics; that the emerging economies, and especially the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China, South Africa), have been instrumental in diversifying Africa's international relations, perhaps leading to a radical change in the global order, favourable to the developing world. But to what extent is this true, and how deep and how broad has been the impact on society at large? This book takes a critical look at the prevalent Africa Rising discourse, and explores the nature and implications of Africa's "rise" and the role that the BRICS have played in it thus far. The author argues that Africa has still yet to go through any structural transformation and, that there is strong evidence to suggest de-industrialisation and jobless growth have accompanied the upsurge of interest in the continent in recent years. Far from bringing about a milieu where Africa may make a radical turn in its developmental trajectory, Taylor suggests that the continent is ever more being pushed into the resource corner. At the same time, hope that the BRICS might offer up an alternative to the extant neoliberal order have been misplaced: the elites of the BRICS have a stake in maintaining the current unequal global system. While the emerging economies will be important, Africa must fashion its own independent path - relying on the external actors may simply reproduce anew the current state of underdevelopment. Ian Taylor is Professor in International Relations and African Politics, University of St Andrews; Chair Professor, Renmin, University of China; Professor Extraordinary, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; Honorary Professor, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, China; and a Visiting Scholar at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.