Brazil-Africa Forum and Brazil’s Africa Policy
The 12th Brazil-Africa Forum was held in São Paulo on October 14–15, 2024. With the theme “Infrastructure Investments for Sustainable Development”, the forum aimed to deepen Brazil’s relations with Africa. The event, attended by private sector representatives and academics, explored ways to strengthen cooperation between Africa and Brazil.
Prominent speakers included Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro
Vieira, Afreximbank’s Global Trade Bank Vice President Haytham El Maayergi, and
Zemedeneh Negatu, who has led numerous major projects across Africa.
In recent years, global and regional powers have almost
competed with one another to organize Africa summits. As the volume of
investments and loans directed to the continent has grown, so too has the
interest of African leaders and business figures in such events. Brazil’s
annually held forum received relatively limited media attention this year,
largely because relations with Africa remained weak until Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva’s return to power in 2023.
With Lula back in office, Brazil has been seeking to revive
its engagement with Africa, particularly in agriculture, technology transfer,
and social development projects, with the aim of reinforcing its presence on
the continent. While trying to establish a cooperation model based on shared
interests with African nations, Brazil is also adopting different strategies to
stand out amid intensifying competition from countries such as China and India.
Brazil-Africa Relations
Historical ties between Brazil and Africa began with the
transatlantic slave trade. Millions of Africans were forcibly brought to Brazil
from the 16th century onward, leaving lasting demographic and cultural impacts.
However, by the late 19th century, with the abolition of the slave trade and
Brazil’s foreign policy shift toward Europe, Africa was pushed to the margins
of Brazil’s international agenda.
Until the 1960s, Brazil showed little interest in Africa.
This changed during the governments of Jânio Quadros and João Goulart
(1961–64), when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs created an Africa Division to
engage with African peoples. In 1961, embassies were opened in Accra and Tunis,
and consulates were established in Luanda, Maputo, Nairobi, and Salisbury
(Harare).
Relations stagnated following Brazil’s 1964 military coup
but were revived in 1972, when Foreign Minister Mario Gibson Barbosa toured
nine African countries to secure oil supplies. On July 16, 1974, Brazil became
the first country to recognize the independence of Guinea-Bissau, a former
Portuguese colony. By 1984, Brazil had 21 embassies across Africa.
The most transformative period in Brazil-Africa relations
began with Lula da Silva’s rise to power in 2003.
Lula’s Africa Policy: A Turning Point
Lula da Silva sought to establish Brazil as a more
influential international actor and gave special priority to South-South
Cooperation. Africa became a central pillar of this strategy, with Brazil
expanding economic, diplomatic, and technical cooperation with African
countries.
During Lula’s presidency, Brazil strengthened its diplomatic
presence, increased the number of Brazilian companies operating on the
continent, and boosted trade volumes with Africa. By the mid-2000s, Brazil’s
involvement extended beyond trade to technical cooperation and development
assistance. Unlike traditional aid, Brazil’s contributions emphasized
capacity-building programs aimed at creating long-term impacts.
Throughout Lula’s tenure, Brazil also contributed to African
climate and environmental initiatives, particularly by sharing expertise in
“climate-smart agriculture.” At the same time, Brazil invested in Africa’s
fossil fuel sectors, including oil in Angola and coal in Mozambique. Some of
these investments later declined due to corruption scandals and strategic
shifts among Brazilian companies.
On November 2, 2003, Lula embarked on a historic tour to
strengthen Brazil-Africa relations, visiting São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola,
Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia. Between 2003 and 2010, Brazil opened or
reopened more than 15 embassies in Africa and launched numerous bilateral
cooperation programs. By 2009, Brazil’s exports to Africa reached 5.7% of its
global exports—a record high.
Trade relations, particularly with Angola and Mozambique,
expanded rapidly, with investments concentrated in mining, civil construction,
and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nevertheless, compared with China and India—other BRICS
members that became rapidly rising economic actors in Africa—Brazil’s trade
volume remained relatively modest. Brazil’s development cooperation also
primarily focused on Portuguese-speaking countries such as Angola, Mozambique,
Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Under Lula’s successor Dilma Rousseff, relations weakened
again due to domestic political crises and corruption scandals. Rousseff
shifted attention to Brazil’s economic problems, sidelining Africa.
Lula Returns, Africa Returns
When Lula returned to office in 2023, he declared that “Brazil
has significant potential to assist Africa in many areas” and pledged to
revive strong and productive relations. That year, he visited Angola, South
Africa, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe, and in February 2024 he traveled
to new BRICS members Egypt and Ethiopia, where he addressed the opening of the
37th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
Shortly after taking office, Lula reviewed plans to
restructure and partially forgive $280 million in loans extended to African
governments—including Ghana, Mozambique, and Senegal—while urging other
creditors to take similar measures.
As a BRICS member, Brazil under Lula is pursuing a foreign
policy that seeks to balance the rivalry between the United States and China.
Advocating a multipolar world order, Lula aims to position Brazil as an
independent force in global affairs. His renewed interest in Africa reflects
Brazil’s broader push to strengthen South-South cooperation.
Today, outside Africa itself, Brazil is home to the world’s
largest population of African descent. With its historical ties to the
continent and its global leadership ambitions, Brazil’s engagement with Africa
carries opportunities that could benefit both sides.
Sources:
- ResearchGate – Brazil’s Africa Policy
- AFAM
– Brazil’s Africa Policy
- Diplomacia Business – Speech by Mauro Vieira
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