economy

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) latest Global Investment Trends Monitor, foreign direct investment flows into South Africa plummeted by 43.6 percent in the past year - the largest decline among all developing economies.

Following three government departments’ opposition last year to Walmart’s R16.5 billion investment in South Africa, the country is perceived as hostile to foreign investors.

The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) says that articles in The Economist expressing the view that South Africa is sliding downhill may benefit the country.

The SAIRR says that it is in broad agreement with the article and a report titled, ‘Cry the beloved country’ and ‘Over the rainbow’, respectively, which are in the magazine's latest issue.

South Africa has shown unfavourable governance performance since 2006, according to the 2012 Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance.

The index has found that over the past six years, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa have declined in two categories - safety and rule of law, and participation and human rights.

It points that, "Each of these four countries deteriorated the most in the participation sub-category, which assesses the extent to which citizens have the freedom to participate in the political process."

According to the latest report, 2012 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer, men continue to dominate Botswana's economic sphere.

The report, which is an annual tracking of regional performance against the targets of the SADC Protocol On Gender and Development set for 2015, women and men are still operating in business sectors that are traditionally determined by gender roles.

The newly-appointed president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, says that Africa is top priority for the bank.

Speaking during his visit to South Africa, Kim pointed out that, "You can rest assured that on every level I am deeply committed to the growth and success of Africa."

Kim, who met President Jacob Zuma with eight ministers and deputy ministers, states that he had long and intense discussions about how to improve implementation and delivery, adding that this is a problem for every country in the world.

The FW de Klerk Foundation says South Africa (SA) could not ignore the policy debates within the African National Congress (ANC) alliance, which is facing ‘two roads’ - one mapped out by the National Planning Commission and another by ‘national democratic revolution’.