Paper short abstract:

The goal of this paper is to understand the types of cooperation established between Brazil and African countries in the field of social protection, particularly in what relates to cash transfer programmes. It also aims to understand Brazil’s role in the diffusion of such programmes.

Paper long abstract:

Cash transfers are becoming increasingly important instruments for development and the fight against poverty in the Global South. As one of the first countries to adopt such policies and home to Bolsa Família, the world's largest cash transfer and one of the most successful programmes, Brazil has now been playing a particularly relevant role as a "new donor" focusing specifically on cash transfers. Since President Lula da Silva took office, Brazil has been showing a growing interest for sub-Saharan Africa, and invested in an important increase of exchanges and agreements. In particular, Brazil has been involved in the design and evaluation of cash transfer programmes, which several African countries have adopted during the last decade. The goal of this paper is to understand Brazil's role in the diffusion of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and draw conclusions on the type of development cooperation established between Brazil and African countries in the recent years.