The 21st century scramble for Africa

Under the impact of global and globalising forces, the door to the African economy was flung wide open in the 1990s but often it was only the South Africans that entered. However, in the last year or two this has changed and Soutbh Africa is increasingly finding itself having to share its place at the table with two big players in the form of the US and China, and the two important regional actors in the form of India and Brazil. What these countries all have in common - amongst themselves and with South Afrioca - is their growing focus on Africa's energy and mineral resources, amongst which the first prize is oil.