With a population of some 53 million inhabitants and an annual income of some USD 7,200, South Africa is one of the leading economic powers in Africa. Its economy accounts for 23% of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa and over 60% of the GDP of Southern Africa. The country is marked by the volume and variety of its mineral resources, a well-developed financial sector, strong industrial system, effective legal and communication sectors and modern, albeit inadequate, infrastructure. Indeed, South Africa has to address a real need for the development of its infrastructure and job creation, a prerequisite for restarting its economy. Despite the implementation of catch-up policies since 1994 and considerable strides, the unemployment rate is particularly high, with job creation hampered by structural problems, especially the level of qualification of workers and poor real growth performance. South Africa also needs to face major environmental and structural challenges.

AFD has been operating in South Africa since 1994, by offering innovative financing solutions and technical assistance to support the Government’s development policy. The Johannesburg agency also covers AFD’s activities in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.