UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE   
ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
 
CONFERENCE DES NATIONS UNIES SUR
LE COMMERCE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT
 South Africa
 
Foreign direct investment overview, selected years
(Billions of dollars and percentages)
Foreign direct investment flows:                      
                  as a percentage of gross fixed capital formation
  1985-1995 1996 1997 1998   1985-1995 1996 1997
  (annual average)               (annual average)    
South Africa                      
Inward 0.1 0.8   1.7   0.4     0.3 3.5 7.6
Outward 0.2 0.1   2.3   1.5     1.1 0.3 10.5
Memorandum                      
Nigeria                      
Inward 0.9 1.6   1.5   1.5 a   24.8 21.3 7.2
Outward 0.6 0.1   0.2   0.1     17.4 1.8 0.9
Africa b                       
Inward 3.2 5.9   7.7   7.9     4.6 7.8 8.3
Outward 0.9 0.0   1.4   0.5     1.6 -0.1 2.1
World                      
Inward 180.6 358.9   464.3   643.9     4.2 5.8 7.7
Outward 203.0 379.9   475.1   648.9     4.9 6.3 8.0
Developing countries b                       
Inward 48.1 135.3   172.5   165.9     5.0 8.4 10.3
Outward 20.8 58.9   65.0   52.3     2.2 3.8 3.9
                       
Foreign direct investment stocks:                      
                  as a percentage of gross domestic product
  1985 1995 1997 1998   1985 1995 1997
South Africa                      
Inward  9.0 14.9   18.3   18.7 a   16.3 10.9 14.2
Outward 9.0 23.3   27.5   29.0 a   16.2 17.2 21.3
Memorandum                      
Nigeria                      
Inward a  4.4 14.1   17.2   18.7     5.5 34.7 12.0
Outward a  5.2 11.2   11.5   11.6     6.41 27.6 8.1
Africa b                       
Inward 23.4 54.9   67.7   75.3     7.3 17.7 14.7
Outward 6.4 14.6   15.9   16.4     2.4 5.3 3.7
World                      
Inward 782.3 2 789.6   3 436.7   4 088.1   6.9 9.9 11.7
Outward 685.8 2 840.2   3 423.4   4 117.1     6.3 10.2 11.9
Developing countries b                       
Inward 237.2 769.3   1 055.7   1 219.3     9.8 14.1 16.6
Outward 28.1 236.6   341.6   390.9     1.4 4.7 5.8
a Estimates. For details, see "definitions and sources" in annex B and notes in annexes B1-4 in WIR99.
b Excludes South Africa.
 
 
South Africa's presence in the list of the top 50 TNCs from developing countries, 1997
Ranking in top 50        
Foreign assets  Transnationality index Corporation Industry Foreign assets  Transnationality index
        (Millions of dollars) (Per cent)
7 7 Sappi Limited Paper 3 830 61.9
41 32 South African Breweries plc  Food and beverages .. 24.3
43 24 Barlow Limited  Diversified .. 28.9
For delails, see notes on Table III. 8. in WIR99.
 
 
Number of parent corporations and foreign affiliates in South Africa, latest available year
(Number)
     
  Parent corporation based in economy Foreign affiliate located in economy
     
South Africa 140 2 147
Memorandum    
World 59 902 508 239
Developed countries 49 806 94 623
Developing countries 9 246 238 906
South, East and South-East Asia 6 067 206 148
Central and Eastern Europe 850 174 710
For delails, see notes on Table I. 1. in WIR99.
 


 
The source for all this information is: The World Investment Report, 1999 (Sales No.E.99.II.D.3.).  WIR99 may be obtained at the price of US$ 49 for customers in developed countries and US$ 19 for customers in developing countries, from United Nations Publication/Sales Section, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, fax: 41 22 917 00 27, e-mail: unpubli@un.org, Internet: http://www.un.org/publications; or from United Nations Publications, Two UN Plaza, Room DC2-853, Dept. Press, New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A., telephone: 1 212 963 83 02 or 1 800 253 96 46, fax: 1 212 963 34 89, e-mail: publications@un.org
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Last Updated on 06.10.1999
By Baly Mohamed Chiraz