Ghana vs South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net
Foreign direct investment, net over time
- Ghana
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports -1.85 billion BoP, current US$ against -1.87 billion BoP, current US$ in Ghana, a difference of 19.41 million BoP, current US$.
The two have swapped places 14 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.
Ghana ranks 146th and South Africa ranks 144th of 197 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Ghana averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ghana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -6.92 million BoP, current US$ | 239.06 million BoP, current US$ | 245.98 million BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 1990s | -113.47 million BoP, current US$ | 431.30 million BoP, current US$ | 544.77 million BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 2000s | -783.49 million BoP, current US$ | -3.52 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.74 billion BoP, current US$ | Ghana |
| 2010s | -3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | -154.47 million BoP, current US$ | 3.00 billion BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 2020s | -1.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.08 billion BoP, current US$ | Ghana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net, Ghana or South Africa?
- South Africa, at -1.85 billion BoP, current US$ against -1.87 billion BoP, current US$ in Ghana as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net between Ghana and South Africa?
- 19.41 million BoP, current US$, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and South Africa?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do Ghana and South Africa rank globally for foreign direct investment, net?
- Ghana ranks 146th and South Africa ranks 144th of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Foreign direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting power is evidence of a direct investment relationship. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.