Business, trade and investment

About rising powers and business, trade and Investment

Business, trade and investment from Rising Power countries have a growing presence in Africa and other developing regions. China, India and Brazil have all made their mark on the African continent, through expanding government-led investment programmes for large companies, and also through smaller scale investment from Small and Medium Enterprises. As the so-called ‘emerging economies’ seek new markets, the African continent is often held as the ‘final frontier’, presenting opportunities in sectors such as the extractive industry, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and agri-business. Many African countries are commodity-rich but have a low manufacturing base and under-developed or ageing infrastructure. Lax regulatory frameworks mean investors are not always held to account in terms of the potential negative impacts of their business on social and labour relations as well as the environment, which is examined by the literature in this section.