Foreign direct investment in South Africa
South Africa: Foreign direct investment was 1.5% in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment in South Africa, 2005–2011
Source: World Bank country economists. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.5% for foreign direct investment in 2011.
The figure is up 288.3% on the previous year and down 34.8% over ten years.
South Africa ranks 30th of 41 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Foreign direct investment in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2.3% | — |
| 2006 | -2.3% | -203.1% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | -141.1% |
| 2008 | 4.3% | +346.2% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | -66.7% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | -73.3% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +288.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.3% | -2.3% | 4.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.4% | 1.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More trade data for South Africa
- Commodity Net Export Price Index, Individual Commodities Weighted by 109.35 (2025)
- Commodity Net Export Price Index, Individual Commodities Weighted by 100.81 (2025)
- Commodity Export Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 99.79 (2025)
- Commodity Export Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 95.89 (2025)
- Commodity Import Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 98.98 (2025)
- Commodity Import Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 77.42 (2025)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, Percent of GDP 1.03 (2024)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), per 64.23 units per person (2024)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), per 0.0102 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Exports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), gaps 1.75 billion (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment in South Africa?
- Foreign direct investment in South Africa was 1.5% in 2011, according to World Bank country economists.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.3% in 2006.
- How does South Africa rank for foreign direct investment?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 41 countries with data for 2011.
- Is foreign direct investment rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank country economists, published as part of Foreign direct investment (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign direct investment is net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows total net, that is, net FDI in the reporting economy from foreign sources less net FDI by the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.