13. Conclusion: How New is the ‘New Wave’?

Despite the much lauded prospects of South–South cooperation and the hope that commodity exports would result in ‘Africa Rising’, evidence points to a starker reality. In this text, Taylor analyses evidence from emerging powers’ engagement with the African continent in the light of the West’s continued global economic dominance, and concludes that the new wave of emerging powers in Africa has done little to substantively improve Africa’s prospects. This chapter draws on dependency theory and critical reflection on the required conditions for development to pinpoint specific obstacles to progress on the continent. Although sobering, the work highlights key areas for reflection for anyone interested in Africa’s long-term prospects for autonomy and poverty alleviation.