InvestSA or invest in South Africa is a division of the South African Department of Trade and Industry that acts as a one-stop-shop for people willing to invest and become part of the success story of South Afric. InvestSA supports investors exploring opportunities in South Africa by helping with information, facilitation and aftercare. The drive facilitates practical assistance to streamline the process of setting up a business in the country.
South Africa is one of the best-diversified economies in Africa making it the hotspot for investors, and startups and business houses across the globe. The country provided leading services destination, regional manufacturing hub and most industrialised country in Africa.
The InvestSAinitiative provides investors with services to fast-track their projects and reduce government red-tapism and avoid spending time and money while going through the stringent process of clearing permits. InvestSAanis to fast-track the process and make South Africa investors friendly.
Part of the government’s drive, InvestSA helps in improving the business environment by lowering the cost of doing business as well as making the process easier. The appointed officers’ house government officials from various departments under one roof to avoid hassle and wastage of resources. Officials from South African Revenue Service, customs and tax department, Home Affairs, Environmental Affairs, Eskom and the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission are seated in these offices to help the investors.
With the help of the InvestSA One Stop Shop, anyone looking to invest in South Africa can now book an appointment, meet a government representative and be guided by the experts through the process of setting up a business in the country. The officials at One Stop Shops help you get business approvals, permits and licences.
At present, the government has launched One Stop Shops in Tshwane in Gauteng (National office), Cape Town in the Western Cape and eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal. The government’s aim to roll out similar offices in other provinces as well to help the investors and remove bottlenecks that they may face in establishing and running businesses.
InvestSA One Stop Shop and the provincial partners provide an integrated service to investors that, facilitates the entire investment value chain; provides specialist advisory services to investors; coordinates effectively across various line departments; communicates all services to current and potential investors; acts as the facilitation window of clearance of registration, licensing and permits; facilitates the provision of information and support on available investor incentives schemes, and coordinates the regulatory reform/roadmap process in South Africa and improve the investment climate.
The key objective of InvestSA One Stop Shop is to facilitate the increase in the quality and quantity of foreign and domestic direct investment in South Africa. The initiative helps to provide an investment-friendly, recruitment oriented, problem-solving and information service to retain and expand investment in South Africa and into Africa. The InvestSA National One-Stop Shop help focus, identify and strengthen the market, promote and facilitate investment in key high-yielding growth sectors of the South African economy.
South Africa offers a combination of developed first-world economic infrastructure and a growing emerging market. Its investment potential lies in its diversity of sectors and industries. It is also a major trading nation, exporting and importing more than US$167 billion worth of goods every year, from a location that makes it an ideal gateway into African and other global markets. The nation has world-class infrastructure, exciting innovation, research and development capabilities and an established manufacturing base. It is at the forefront of the development and rollout of new green technologies and industries, creating new and sustainable jobs in the process and reducing environmental impact.
The South African Government initiative, InvestSA National One-Stop Shop programme has helped introduce wide-ranging ideas to promote training and skills development and fast-track the building of world-class skills and competences.
InvestSA provides advice on where to locate and facilitates regulatory steps such as licensing, company registration and work permits, as well as providing details of financial institutions and funding opportunities. InvestSA will also arrange site visits and introductions for possible partnerships. Investor aftercare services are provided for both businesses establishing in the country and for personnel from abroad joining the company. This includes information on recruitment, expansion services and details of lifestyle amenities such as housing and schools. The initiative also provides information to investors and potential investors. This includes specialist advisory services in areas such as the economic environment, regulatory and legal environment, a guide to investment possibilities and information about industrial development schemes and financial support.