Africa Economy

A widening trade imbalance caused South Africa’s current account deficit to broaden to 6.4% of GDP in 2012, up from 4.2% in 2011 and 2.8% in 2010, and the widest since the start of the global financial crisis in 2008, when it reached 7.3%. With the services balance traditionally in deficit, deepening trade imbalances have driven the current...

Just as significant as its role as a gateway to Africa for foreign investors, South Africa is also the source of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows on the continent, as well as further afield in emerging markets globally and increasingly in developed markets. “In recent years foreign investment by South African corporations has been...

Often referred to as the Rainbow Nation, South Africa has a heterogeneous population which reflects its rich and sometimes turbulent history. The country has been known as a centre for gold and ivory trading since as long ago as 12,000 AD, with established trade routes to both India and China. By the mid-1600s, it had become a useful staging...

With a long-established track record as the continent’s largest financial platform and one of the world’s biggest mining producers, South Africa has significant economic clout in the region. However, industrial strife and policy uncertainty have become key sources of investor concern of late. Recent years of slowing growth have failed to make...