Brazil Is The BRICS Country You Can ACTUALLY Invest In

Hey guys, Mikkel here,

After last edition, a few people reached out with some version of the same question.

“Mikkel, if Brazil’s BRICS position matters so much, why Brazil specifically?”

Fair question.

After all, Brazil is only one of the BRICS countries, and today the group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.

So if the goal is exposure to the emerging-market world, why Brazil and why not the other BRICS nations? 

My answer is simple.

Brazil is THE major BRICS country where a foreign investor can still build a practical, legally sound position in a resource-rich country with strong lifestyle appeal and real domestic demand.

But for the sake of further explanation, let’s have a little fun and “throw some stones”, as I like to say.

Let’s Start With Russia…

I understand parts of the Russia thesis.

It’s vast, has energy and mineral resources, and is of enormous geopolitical relevance.

Russia is going to remain an important player in the multipolar world, whether people in Washington, London or Brussels like it or not.

But as an investable market for Westerners right now?

Come on.

The legal and political environment is complicated to say the least…

…and that’s before we even address the reality of sanctions….

Even if you believe in the long-term Russia thesis, most realistic Western investors are not going to build a position there today (it’s a risk I’m not willing to take with my hard-earned capital). 

A good thesis is meaningless if you can’t safely execute.

…but it is a fun dinner party conversation if that’s your bag. 

India is Another Fascinating Case…

India may be one of the most important countries of the next 50 years, sure.

Huge population, technology powerhouse, lots of manufacturing capacity.

There is a lot to like from a macro perspective. 

But if you are an investor who thinks you are just going to buy up some units in India AND THEN effectively place them in the rental market… good luck.

A foreigner trying to do business in India is going to have one heck of a time getting an honest deal done.

…I will leave that at that…

China is FAR More Interesting…

I am personally invested in China, but to be fair, I was able to do so safely because my wife is from there. 

That changes everything about the viability of investing in China. 

When you have family connections, can communicate in the language, have cultural context, legal context, and local support, investing in China is far different than it is for someone sitting in Canada or the U.S. thinking, “China is a powerhouse, maybe I should invest there.”

…and even if you are lucky enough to have married into a Chinese family, you are dealing with a country where the state has enormous power and strict watch over the flow of capital (especially foreign capital). 

China is China, and it’s a beast of a country to deal with if you don’t have the right “ins”. 

South Africa is An Unfortunate One…

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world… the coastline, mountains, farms, wildlife, and natural beauty are spectacular. 

But from an investor perspective, I can’t ignore the problems.

Crime is serious, the political risk is difficult to put into words, the property rights concerns are massive, and the racial divide is palpable at the street level.

It’s a true shame what is happening there.

If you're looking for a clean, foreigner-accessible, hard-asset position, South Africa is quite low on the list of countries I would guide you toward. 

…and then you have the newer BRICS members…

Some are, let’s just say, more accessible and feasible than others… but the reality is that, apart from the UAE (where I spent 8 years living before leaving due to geopolitical risks), the others are basically non-starters for foreigners.

Egypt has currency and political complexity.

Ethiopia has long-term potential but serious instability. 

Saudi Arabia is ambitious and wealthy, but it operates within a completely different legal and cultural environment. 

Indonesia is interesting, but foreign land ownership is next to impossible. 

The UAE is quite accessible to foreigners, but it is expensive, and as we’ve seen in the past months, it is not safe… hence the reason I left for Panama more than 7 years ago.  

So yes, securing a BRICS hedge as part of your offshore portfolio is important; however, a country can be geopolitically important and still be a terrible place to invest.

That is why Brazil stands out.

Brazil gives you BRICS exposure without asking you to solve an impossible puzzle before you begin.

Unlike most BRICS nations, Brazil offers foreigners a practical way to invest. 

You can buy real estate and have it fully titled in your name. 

Brazil offers scale, resources, domestic demand, lifestyle appeal, investable real estate, and (with the right support), trusted local execution… all as a foreigner. 

That is why, for my money, Brazil is the only viable option in a BRICS country.

Another (BIG) Shoe Has Dropped in Ceará

Most outsiders look at Northeast Brazil and see the obvious things first.

The beaches, affordability and the lifestyle advantages…

…but there is more to the region than meets the eye…

There is a massive data centre project now moving forward in Ceará that makes this case perfectly. 

The company building the data centre that will help power TikTok has now secured a major long-term renewable energy deal in the region, with the project located at the Pecém port complex, just outside Fortaleza.

It’s a $2 billion, 20-year deal to supply renewable energy. 

So, yes, (another) BIG shoe has dropped.

A major global tech player has made a serious, long-term bet on Northeast Brazil, and the rationale behind their bet is pretty simple. 

Data centres need two things above almost everything else: power and connectivity.

…Brazil’s Northeast has both. 

Fortaleza is one of the most important submarine cable hubs in the Americas, with international cables connecting Brazil to North America, Europe, and Africa.

Data centres can’t simply sit anywhere, because cheap, abundant energy is only half the equation…

They need fast, reliable, redundant global connectivity, and Fortaleza already has that because of its submarine cable infrastructure. 

Brazil’s Northeast is blessed with strong wind and solar capabilities, which makes it a lucrative location (and is increasingly important as global technology companies look for large-scale renewable power). 

For these companies, cheap and abundant energy is the backbone of their entire business. 

So when you combine Fortaleza’s digital connectivity with Ceará’s renewable energy advantage, the region starts to look far more strategic than many people realized.

Soon, the world will understand the Northeast of Brazil as more than just “beautiful and affordable”.

…it will be known as an energy hub that hosts some of the world’s largest data centres.

Now, you guys have been with me long enough to understand that no single project completely transforms a “beach town” into a “boom town” overnight. 

…but you’ve also been following along long enough to know that something like this announcement creates massive downstream effects that will bring new people, more services and more businesses to the region. 

If this trend continues (and I expect it to), the implications for the real estate market could be substantial.

…just some food for thought for those of you who are still on the fence as to whether this region truly has the type of growth potential that will drive real estate prices and rental demand through the roof in the coming years…

Construction Update: Porto Residences (Phase A) 

As we just discussed, Ceará is getting more attention, and more capital is entering the region… and as this continues, the demand for quality housing nearby should deepen at an impressive clip (all signs are pointing to this happening). 

When a new wave of people move into a new city, they do not wait years before vacationing.

They want to get their bearings and start exploring.

They want to show their family that they have made a good decision to relocate, so they spend a lot of time taking short weekend trips to the beach.

…and I reckon some of them will end up staying at Porto Residences (Phase A), which is nearing completion and set for delivery at the end of August (2026). 

The Porto Residences (Phase A) were offered exclusively to members of The Expat Money Community, and I couldn’t be any more excited for those of you who secured a position here to begin experiencing the hands-off, turnkey rental revenue that is going to start flowing your way once your units are placed into the rental program.

Note: Over the next 6-8 weeks, my trusted partner, Michael, will be in touch with you to discuss getting your units before placing your unit (or units) on the rental market! Many of you have already secured your furniture packages; however, for those of you who haven't, the time is nearly upon you! 

Come Explore Brazil’s Northeast With Me This September

If a photo is worth 1,000 words, what is it worth to see something with your own eyes? 

I can explain all the economic and lifestyle reasons that make Brazil such an exceptional investment thesis, but no matter how often, how much or how clearly I express my thoughts, nothing I write here will replace exploring the country with your own two feet. 

That is why I will be leading our second-ever Expat Exploration & Investment Tour to Northeast Brazil from September 19th through the 27th.

It is a carefully and strategically curated, boots-on-the-ground experience designed for families and investors who want to understand Brazil’s Northeast from the inside, with expert guidance from start to finish, so you can get a crystal-clear idea of whether Brazil belongs in your own Plan-B portfolio.

We ran this tour for the first time last year, and beyond being incredibly productive, it was an absolute blast.

…hence why we are doing it again…

The tour begins with the group meeting in Panama before flying together to Brazil, where we will kick things off by spending two full days in the Amazon Rainforest for an unforgettable experience.

After that, we’ll take a short flight together to Fortaleza to get down to Plan-B business.

We’ll travel down the coast to visit projects developed in partnership with IMPAR (our trusted on-the-ground partners in Brazil), where we will check out multiple beachfront investment hubs, tour our development sites, and meet directly with the teams behind the projects… while eating great meals, all along the way, I must add. 

This tour includes bucket-list experiences, incredible food, private transportation and top-notch accommodations from start to finish; you’re only responsible for getting yourself to and from Brazil, and after that, the rest is covered. 

If you are serious about Brazil, or even seriously curious, you need to consider joining us on September’s tour, because the people who understand this market earliest will have the best chance to position themselves while the price disconnect I am seeing right now is still in play.  

You can learn more and secure your seat here: ExpatMoney.com/Brazil 

Or, if you would like to speak with Melissa before committing, you can schedule a call here: ExpatMoney.com/Tours-Call

Speak soon,
Mikkel