South Africa
Industrial Development Corporation
The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited (IDC) was established
in 1940 by an Act of Parliament (Industrial Development Corporation Act, No. 22
of 1940) and is fully owned by the South African Government. The IDC was
mandated to develop domestic industrial capacity, specifically in manufactured
goods, to mitigate the disruption of trade between Europe and South Africa
during the Second World War.
The IDC has contributed to the implementation of South Africa's industrial policy
for more than 70 years and established, among others, the petro-chemicals and
minerals beneficiation industries. The IDC has stimulated large industrial
projects in these industries - acknowledged today as the cornerstones of the
country's manufacturing sector - and influenced the establishment of industries
in fabricated metals, agriculture and clothing and textiles.
During the 1990s, the mandate was expanded to include investment in the rest of
Africa. The Mozal aluminum smelter in Mozambique was the first such venture. The
IDC secured investors from around the globe to establish a major industrial
enterprise in a country plagued by decades of civil war. The smelter illustrated
the viability of large projects on a continent often shunned by investors.
Currently, investments in Africa include mining, agriculture, manufacturing,
tourism and telecommunications.
The IDC's funding is generated through income from loan and equity investments and
exits from mature investments, as well as borrowings from commercial banks,
development finance institutions (DFIs) and other lenders.
We align our priorities with government's policy direction and remain committed to
developing the country's industrial capacity, as well as playing a major role in
facilitating job creation through industrialization.
www.idc.co.za
Business Partners Limited
Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) is a specialist risk finance
company that provides customized financial solutions, sectoral knowledge,
mentorship, business premises and other value added services for formal small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa and selected African countries,
namely Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Business Partners has developed a range of proprietary financing models that
offer maximum flexibility to suit your specific needs. Along with general
financing solutions, it also offers specialized industry and sector specific
financing products that range from education and manufacturing to property
investment and women in business funds for SMEs.
www.businesspartners.co.za
Small Enterprise Finance Agency
The Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SOC) Ltd (
sefa)
was established on 1st April 2012 as a result of the merger of the South African
Micro Apex Fund (samaf), Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd and the small business
activities of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The agency operates
as a development finance institution (DFI) and reports to the Department of
Small Business Development (DSBD). In line with its mandate,
sefa provides
financial products and services to qualifying SMMEs and Co-operatives as defined
in the National Small Business Act of 1996 and amended in 2004. This
sefa accomplishes
through a range of wholesale and direct lending channels.
Sefa has a national presence with its Head Office located in Centurion, Gauteng.
www.sefa.org.za
Womens Business Association
As the voice of women in business, the Businesswomen's Association of South Africa (BWASA) is the
largest and most prominent association of business and professional women in the country. It plays
a key role in highlighting the current status of women in leadership and acts as a lobby group that
advocates on women's business issues in an effort to transform the economy.
http://www.bwasa.co.za/
World Bank Group Doing Business Report:
http://arabic.doingbusiness.org/~/media/WBG/DoingBusiness/Documents/Profiles/Country/ZAF.pdf
Knowledge Management Products:
https://www.afdb.org/en/countries/southern-africa/south-africa/south-africa-knowledge-products/
South Africa Economic Outlook
Since 2012, following the sharp decline in international commodity prices for the country’s four
key exports—coal, platinum, iron ore and gold—economic growth slowed, compounded by domestic
structural weaknesses and subdued investor confidence. After reaching 3.3% in 2011, growth fell
to 0.3% in 2016. Growth in output from the country’s key sectors, including manufacturing, dropped
from 3% in 2011 to 0.7% in 2016; the contraction in output from mining increased from 0.7% to 4.7%
over the same period. Medium-term growth prospects remain subdued; economic growth is was estimated
at 0.9% in 2017 and was projected to reach 1.1% in 2018 and 1.6% in 2019.
