Brazilian cities in Mozambique: South–south development co-operation or the projection of soft power?

This article analyses the technical co-operation between Brazilian cities and their Mozambican counterparts against the backdrop of the growing assertiveness of cities in the global economy and the resurgence of South–South co-operation. It argues that widespread global interest in Brazil’s relative success in socio-economic transformation, coupled with Brazil’s quest for global recognition and leadership has propelled the country’s cities to the status of providers of technical assistance in Africa. While the city-to-city dimension of Brazil’s technical cooperation may have contributed to the positive image and good will that Brazil enjoys in both Africa and the wider global community, it also raises questions about the developmental value of the Brazilian model of development co-operation.