prospects

Cote d'Ivoire is the best sub-Saharan African destination for investors, with South Africa in the top seven, according to Nielsen's 2016 African Prospects Indicators report.

South Africa's current credit rating has been confirmed, as Moody's Investors Service kept the government bond long and short-term ratings unchanged at Baa2 and P-2 respectively, while assigning a negative outlook.

South Africa has enormous potential as an investment destination, offering a unique combination of highly developed first world economic infrastructure with a vibrant emerging market economy.

South Africa performs very well in the more complex areas of competitiveness, such as innovation, technological readiness, and financial market development, according to Caroline Galvan, the World Economic Forum’s Lead Economist for Competitiveness and Risks in Africa.

Emphasising that South Africans are "resilient, committed and resourceful", Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan delivered his 2016 Budget speech to the National Assembly in Parliament on Wednesday 24 February. Read the full speech, watch the video, and download key documents.

At a Brand South Africa roundtable discussion on national perceptions, it was revealed that South Africans are extremely proud of the country and its achievements, and are optimistic about prospects for future generations.

Mpumalanga is making progress in the rehabilitation of the coal haulage network, which will mitigate the degradation of roads, says the premier. Construction of the Majuba railway is progressing well and the Moloto rail corridor development programme has been approved.

More than 400 exhibitors are expected at the World Travel Market Africa, the second year of the travel and tourism conference. It will focus on the travel offerings on the continent, as well as on responsible tourism initiatives in Africa, with talks and debates by leaders in the field.

In her State of the Province Address delivered on Friday 20 February, Premier Helen Zille outlined the Western Cape government's five strategic goals to build a highly skilled, innovation driven, resource efficient, connected and high opportunity society for all. Read the full speech here.

As South Africa joins the discussion on improving the state of the world at the WEF meeting in Davos, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO of the National Research Foundation, argues that education and innovation are the most important routes to growing South Africa's economy.