ga_th3_dp-ramkolowan-craig-munro_20181023-a580947203c7ce92.pdf

This research paper analyzes the dynamics of South African foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade within Africa from 2006 to 2018. It finds that while South Africa remains a dominant intra-African investor, its relative influence is declining due to increased competition from global actors, particularly China, and other African nations. The paper highlights South Africa's role as a regional distribution hub and suggests policy shifts toward deeper trade liberalization and better public-private collaboration to maintain its economic footprint.

• South Africa is a leading intra-African investor, typically accounting for 60% to 75% of Africa's outward FDI stock and up to 60% of outward FDI flows.
• Despite its regional dominance, South Africa's share of investment in Africa is being eroded by increased competition, most notably from China, which more than doubled its FDI stock in Africa between 2011 and 2016, growing from $23 billion to $53 billion.
• South African investment is geographically concentrated in Southern Africa, particularly within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), though it has expanded into East and West African markets such as Ghana and Kenya.
• Mauritius serves as a critical international financial centre for South African companies, acting as a hub for offshore investments into the continent.
• South Africa functions as a regional distribution and assembly hub, importing manufactured goods from the rest of the world and re-exporting them to other African nations, which can mask the actual origin of goods in trade data.
• South African investment in Africa is primarily 'market-seeking,' focusing on expanding markets and profit margins rather than resource extraction or cost reduction, with a strong presence in services-oriented sectors.
• There is a high degree of co-location among South African firms in foreign markets; the presence of firms in sectors like banking, insurance, and retail often encourages other South African sectors to invest in the same country.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts by South African firms in Africa are often criticized as being short-term, charity-based, and driven by local legal requirements rather than long-term sustainable development goals.
• To counter declining influence, the paper recommends that South Africa pursue deeper liberalization of trade in goods and services, improve public-private sector dialogue, and use development finance to make infrastructure projects 'investment-ready' for private capital.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). ga_th3_dp-ramkolowan-craig-munro_20181023-a580947203c7ce92.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GA_Th3_DP-Ramkolowan-Craig-Munro_20181023.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. ga_th3_dp-ramkolowan-craig-munro_20181023-a580947203c7ce92.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GA_Th3_DP-Ramkolowan-Craig-Munro_20181023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=ga_th3_dp-ramkolowan-craig-munro_20181023-a580947203c7ce92.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GA_Th3_DP-Ramkolowan-Craig-Munro_20181023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndgath3dpramkolowancraigmunro20181023a580947203c7ce92pdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{ga\_th3\_dp-ramkolowan-craig-munro\_20181023-a580947203c7ce92.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GA_Th3_DP-Ramkolowan-Craig-Munro_20181023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }