Every Continent Needs an America: The Experience of SA Firms Doing Business in Mozambique

Image: Flickr, PROAndrew Smith
Image: Flickr, PROAndrew Smith

Based on a survey conducted in November 2003 of 20 South African companies doing business in Mozambique, this publication tracks the experience of South African firms in that country.

Although South Africa is a leading investor representing 49% of total foreign direct investment (FDI) from 1997-2002, the sizeable number of South African businesses does not imply that the country offers a trouble-free, uncomplicated business environment.

The following sections of the Mozambique study have been translated into Portuguese: Methodology, Executive Summary, Findings of the South African Survey, Recommendations, Lessons from Mozambique and Conclusion.

The three-year Business in Africa research project was funded by the Danish government. The project focused on the South African business experiences in a range of African countries, hoping to draw lessons to feed into the broader policy debates around Nepad and the role of business in the development of Africa.

It interacted extensively with South African and African business and hopes to provide a platform for better business access to governments across the continent and for enhanced networking opportunities among businesses in Africa. The main objective of the project was to develop policy recommendations on creating a sustainable business environment on the continent. Neuma Grobbelaar headed the project, and Hany Besada was the project’s researcher.

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).

17 Feb 2004