South Africa has the most developed, diversified and technologically advanced economy on the African continent.

Its economy is the 30th-largest in the world, and one of the three largest in Africa. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016/17 Global Competitiveness Report, South Africa ranks 27th for its domestic market size.

• South Africa has a world-class financial sector and is the investment location of choice for multinationals in Africa.
• South Africa’s early-stage entrepreneurs generally display a higher appetite for product and technological innovation compared to the African average, and have demonstrated a high international market orientation (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2017).
• South Africa ranked first in Africa on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) for 2018. Its world-class transport infrastructure includes the most advanced and largest air, rail and port networks on the continent. The country has eight ocean economy seaports.
• South African exports represented 0.5% of global exports in 2017 (37th-largest exporter in the world). The export base is broad, with its manufacturing component accounting for roughly 57% of total merchandise exports in 2017.

Report by South Africa Investment Conference