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Namibia on the Path to Partnership with BRICS: Opportunities and Constraints of a Small African State

Author:

Grishenkin M.S.

Affiliation:

1. Centre for African Strategy in BRICS, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract:

The article analyzes Namibia’s prospects for participation in BRICS formats and seeks to identify the factors that constrain or, conversely, strengthen its chances of rapprochement with the grouping. The study proceeds from the assumption that the potential level of involvement of small African states in BRICS is determined by a combination of their economic scale, political and diplomatic compatibility, and proximity on key issues of the international agenda. The purpose of the study is to assess Namibia’s correspondence to the principal parameters of potential participation in BRICS. To this end, the article examines three dimensions: the relationship between Namibia’s economic indicators and those of BRICS members and partners; the degree of proximity between Windhoek’s foreign policy orientations and official rhetoric and the self-positioning of the grouping; and the extent to which Namibia’s voting patterns coincide with those of BRICS countries, Africa, Latin America, and the G7 in the United Nations General Assembly. Methodologically, the study relies on a comparative analysis of World Bank statistical data, official BRICS and Namibian documents, speeches by Namibian leaders, materials from international organizations, and UN voting records. The article demonstrates that, despite its limited economic and demographic scale, as well as the absence of a level of institutional engagement comparable to that of BRICS member states, the foreign policy principles and objectives enshrined in Namibia’s official policy documents are largely compatible with the core principles and agenda of BRICS. At the same time, the study identifies several areas of practical interest for Namibia’s cooperation with BRICS countries, including transport and logistics infrastructure, the uranium sector, oil and gas projects, and green hydrogen initiatives. The article concludes that such political and diplomatic compatibility, together with Namibia’s growing functional significance, creates additional opportunities for the country to expand cooperation with BRICS within a partnership format.

Keywords:

Namibia, BRICS, Global South, foreign policy, small states, multilateralism, South–South, United Nations, Africa

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Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

For citation:

Grishenkin M.S. (2026). Namibia on the Path to Partnership with BRICS: Opportunities and Constraints of a Small African State. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 12. № 2. Pp. 76–93. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2026-75-2-76-93

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