South African companies have capitalised on the changing political environment to become key investors in the rest of Africa. This report compares three South African multinational companies operating in the African region; Gold Fields (in Ghana and South Africa), Anglogold (in Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe), and Metorex (in Zambia).

The primary focus of this report is on labour relations, labour conditions, restructuring, HIV/AIDS, health and safety, environmental issues, socially responsible investments, and other human rights issues.

This booklet forms part of the pilot phase of a Social Observatory Project that will monitor the conduct and impact of foreign investors in Africa. In section 1 the introduction aims to set out what foreign direct investment (FDI) is and to define the two forms in which it occurs. The second section looks at why Africa perceives FDI as important and examine the initiatives undertaken by African governments in attracting FDI. Section 3 focuses on the factors that influence/determine FDI flows and why. Section 4 discusses the actual flows of FDI in terms of regions and sectors. The fifth section deals with the costs and benefits associated with FDI while the last section contains the conclusion and recommendations regarding African policies on FDI.

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