Conjugation and Connectivity of Multi-Level Regionalization Projects: The Example of BRICS – SACU

The expansion of BRICS with the inclusion of four new members in the organization – Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE and, potentially, Saudi Arabia – marked the emergence of a new expanded BRICS+ format that actualized the study of regionalization processes in those regions that until recently were relatively weakly involved in global, macro-regional and regional processes of change associated with digital transformation, the formation of new industries, markets and institutions of cooperation. Using the coefficient of trade and economic connectivity and the trade index of propensity to export, the article presents an overview of the key trends, sectoral structure and dynamics of foreign direct investment in the SACU countries. It is shown that the inclusion of new members in BRICS can intensify trade between SACU countries and third countries, where the development of connectivity contributes to the expansion of markets and an increase in interregional trade, including those countries that previously did not trade with BRICS+ countries or did so only on a small scale.

integration, BRICS+, SACU, connectivity, infrastructure projects, development scenarios