Getting Started South Africa
Exporting to South Africa
If you are considering doing business in South Africa, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:
1. Visit South Africa on export.gov page to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities. Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.
2. Contact Information and Links for Assistance:
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- Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to South Africa. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You
- Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs)
Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. - Contact in-country business support organizations:
- South Africa’s Consulates General in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles organize events and provide information on investment in South Africa.
- Other sources of information include the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Business Unity South Africa, and the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Make use of business matchmaking services:
Whether you’re looking to make your first export sale or expand your business in this market, we offer the trade counseling, market intelligence, business matchmaking, and commercial diplomacy you need to connect with lucrative business opportunities.
Investing in South Africa
This section provides information for current and potential investors in South Africa.
1. Potential investors: Getting Started.
If you are considering investment in South Africa, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:
- Register with the U.S. Embassy. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
- Review the Department of State’s Investment Climate Statements and the Department of Commerce’s Country Commercial Guides for the latest analysis of the economic and political conditions in [insert country name here].
- Participate in a Direct Line webinar for information on market opportunities provided by Ambassadors and local experts.
- Identify leads on active and potential projects funded by multilateral development banks with the Department of State’s Business Information Database System (BIDS).
- Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa.
- Subscribe to our embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.
2. Current Investors: Staying Connected
If you are a current U.S. investor in South Africa, the U.S. Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:
- Register with the U.S. Embassy: if you are active in South Africa, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses at the top of this page.
- Add Commercial and Agricultural Specialists to your mailing lists: we are always happy to stay informed. Send emails to contact addresses at the top of this page.
- Subscribe to our embassy Facebook page at @USEmbassySA or Twitter at @USEmbassySA
- Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise. Contact information is listed at the top of this page.
3. Working in South Africa
In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.
Business Visas
- Short Term: U.S. citizens (U.S. passport holders) visiting the Republic of South Africa for ninety (90) days or less for tourism / business purposes do not need visas.
- Long Term: If the visit would exceed ninety days or if traveling to South Africa to work, you will need a temporary residence permit instead of a Business visa is Find out more from the S.A. Department of Home Affairs.
Travel Advisories
- Make sure to check the current State Department travel and advisories for South Africa for up-to-date local conditions.FCPAThe Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets. The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business. These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.More information on the FCPA can be found here: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa/A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue. Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA. Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/fcpa-opinions