THE IMPACT OF REPETITIVE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS ON FUTURE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: A CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA

The debate of the link between xenophobia and importance of foreign direct investment is of interest. A phrase says it all, “One cannot want foreign money and hate foreign businesses at the same time.” Does South Africa, as a country, love foreign investment, and by extension, foreign investors? A ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ answer will do for this question. Foreign direct investments are the most desirable form of capital inflows to emerging and developing countries. Many benefits are linked to accrue to a nation because of FDI inflows. FDI is climatic sensitive, and usually goes where it is wanted most and where conducive environment prevails. The South African nation is dominated by unending violence that also targets foreigners including their businesses. Effective policies to curb xenophobia seems to be lacking. There exist xenophobia denialism among the political leaders, making it more difficult to halt the problem. Letting the nation continue turning into a hostile destination for foreigners may pose a great investment challenge in the longer term. The path that South Africa is walking today, of protecting and failing to address issues of xenophobia, have a long term impact to investment in the country. Conflicts and violence attacks, hence xenophobia, continue to affect FDI flows several years into the future. The trend of net FDI has already shown a downward trend that may be attributed to issues of unrest persistent in the economy. The study strongly indicate that repetitive xenophobic attacks significantly impact future FDI inflows negatively. Immediate action is required to minimize the damage caused by xenophobia in the country. Investment climate restoration is required to ensure favorable economic growth path for the country. KEYWORDS: Economic Growth, Foreigners, Foreign Direct Investment, Instability, Investment, Investment Climate, Socio-economic Development, Violence, Xenophobia, South Africa