Malaysia vs South Africa: Direct investment
Malaysia
191.86 billion US dollar
in 2025
South Africa
185.61 billion US dollar
in 2025
Malaysia rank
34th
South Africa rank
35th
Direct investment over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 191.86 billion US dollar against 185.61 billion US dollar in South Africa, a difference of 6.25 billion US dollar.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 40 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 35th of 164 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 682.20 million US dollar | 9.34 billion US dollar | 8.66 billion US dollar | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.33 billion US dollar | 17.19 billion US dollar | 15.87 billion US dollar | South Africa |
| 2000s | 41.11 billion US dollar | 37.80 billion US dollar | 3.30 billion US dollar | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 142.11 billion US dollar | 163.15 billion US dollar | 21.04 billion US dollar | South Africa |
| 2020s | 169.26 billion US dollar | 195.43 billion US dollar | 26.17 billion US dollar | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher direct investment, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 191.86 billion US dollar against 185.61 billion US dollar in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in direct investment between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 6.25 billion US dollar, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for direct investment?
- Malaysia ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 35th of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund, published as Direct investment (Assets, Positions, US dollar). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The International Investment Position (IIP) is a statistical statement that shows at a point in time the value of financial assets of residents of an economy that are claims on nonresidents or are gold bullion held as reserve assets; and the liabilities of residents of an economy to nonresidents.