From BRIC to BRICS: South Africa and the reasons for its incorporation into the institution
The incorporation of South Africa into the BRIC in 2011 —thereby transforming it into BRICS— represents a key milestone for understanding how institutional enlargement processes operate within frameworks characterized by informality and flexibility. This study seeks to answer the following research...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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EDUCC - Editorial de la Universidad Católica de Córdoba
2025
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.bibdigital.uccor.edu.ar/index.php/SP/article/view/6161 |
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| Sumario: | The incorporation of South Africa into the BRIC in 2011 —thereby transforming it into BRICS— represents a key milestone for understanding how institutional enlargement processes operate within frameworks characterized by informality and flexibility. This study seeks to answer the following research question: why was South Africa admitted as a full member of the BRICS, despite not meeting certain objective economic weight criteria compared to other emerging economies? Based on this inquiry, the central objective of the study is to analyze the factors that made its accession possible, taking into account the institutional and political context in which it occurred. Our main hypothesis is that, in the absence of shared formal rules for the admission of new members —and in an environment marked by the growing prestige of the BRICS among Global South countries— South Africa was incorporated due to the convergence of three core factors: (a) the symbolic, economic, and strategic value it offered to the BRIC collective; (b) the particular national interests of each founding member, along with South Africa's interests in relation to them; and (c) the existence of shared institutional antecedents in cooperative frameworks —notably IBSA and BASIC— which fostered a space of mutual trust. Methodologically, the study adopts a case study approach with a historical-analytical perspective, focusing on the period 2002–2011, and relies on relevant primary and secondary sources to reconstruct the decision-making process that led to South Africa's integration into the BRICS. The analysis sheds light on the informal and political logic underpinning the BRICS’ expansion and offers insights into future patterns of institutional enlargement in a transforming global order. |
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