The recently released inaugural Country Investment Strategy for SA recognises the challenges of attracting investment in a world dealing with the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no doubt that
So where does SA sit in relation to the current investment climate and the vision set out in the country investment strategy? To help answer these questions, the EU Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Southern Africa recently conducted two firm-level investment surveys. The first targeted more than 320 businesspeople in Europe, who are not currently in SA.
Potential investors see SA as more business-friendly than countries such as China, Brazil and Malaysia. That is important, given that SA is competing for resources that can contribute to quality investments, as targeted in the country investment strategy. The European businesspeople who participated in the survey had a particularly positive view on the size of the domestic market, the availability of raw materials, and the country’s economic infrastructure.
estimates that more than 1,000 EU firms are operating in SA. These companies have a long history in this country, with many using SA as their regional headquarters. They invest in skills and supplier development, with nearly half of them reporting a broad-based black economic empowerment level of 4 or better.